Platonic Gal Pal Adventures TM
by Reynabot
Summary: It's been 8 years since the fated Missile Crisis and magic has returned to the world with a vengeance. The increase in magic has allowed previously extinct mythical creatures to be revived once again. Amanda joins Akko and Diana on their latest research expedition and new friends, terrifying monsters, dark secrets, and repressed emotions await the trio on this ridiculous adventure.
1. Chapter 1

Diana tightened her grip on the rough hazelwood, hugging closer to her broom as the harsh winds beat against her face, her blonde locks whipping around behind her. Narrowing her eyes she scanned the horizon for the dragons she knew roosted near the peaks of the mountain range they approached. She chanced a glance over her shoulder, checking that her companions were close. Those two had a penchant for being reckless after all and this was no time to be going off alone.

A nasty gust of wind threatened her hold during her momentary lapse in concentration, rocking her closer to the tree line. Her foot skimmed through the leaves, kicking them up around her only to be stolen by the wind moments later.

They were almost to the base of the mountain, but Diana knew they would never make it up to the peak against the wind. "Let's land in the clearing!" She yelled over the wind.

Akko scrunched up her face and squinted, leaves flying past her, only catching the tail end of Diana's call. She was about to shout back when she saw Diana and Amanda flying down between the trees, Amanda waving her to follow.

Touching down behind her friends Akko let out a breath of relief. She hunched over, gripping her knees as she took a few steadying breaths. Flying was still her favorite thing next to collecting Shiny Chariot merch, but even the enthusiastic witch had her limits. Her limit, in this case, was flying for an hour trying to keep up with the two witches from Luna Nova that put every other broom rider to shame.

Getting her breath under control, Akko stood back up and ran her fingers through her hair, combing out a few leaves. "Phew! Are we stopping here? We aren't at the top of the mountains yet, that's where we needed to go right?" She chuckled slightly. "Not that I'm complaining."

Diana shrunk her broom, leaning over to stowing it in her pack. "We'll never make it up the mountains with winds this strong." She flicked her hair out of her face, standing straight to scan across the small clearing. There was a thick forest around them with a steep incline in front, blocking their view of the encroaching mountain range. _It can't be helped_ , Diana thought as her eyes flicked over to where Akko was recovering. "We can stay here for the night. This seems like a safe enough place to stop. I'll set up the counter spells to ward off any unwanted intruders."

Amanda put away her broom, tossing her pack against the foot of a tree near their impromptu campsite. She raised her arms towards the sky, bending back and stretching out her stiff muscles. "Good plan, good plan." She nodded dismissively, looking around for a good place to relax.

Akko dumped her bag next to Amanda's, turning to look between the two witches. Her attention was drawn to Diana, as the witch absentmindedly began pulling her hair into a ponytail. Biting her lip, Akko watched as the delicate skin of her neck and shoulders became exposed as Diana gathered up her locks.

Akko cleared her throat, shaking her head as she averted her gaze. She cast her sights on the steep hill next to them, the trees thinning out the higher up it went. The low sun peeking through, illuminating the trees farther up. Her eyes brightened and she started jogging towards the base of the incline.

Diana tightened her ponytail and pulled out her wand, taking a deep breath as she closed her eyes and prepared herself to cast. She let out her breath slowly, before pausing mid exhale to open her eyes as a thought crossed her mind. "We should ensure there are no nesting animals nearby. Amanda, could you scout out that rocky hill? Since we are so close to the mountain range, it could easily be occupied by any number of aggressive magical species."

"Already on it Diana!" Akko called out happily over her shoulder.

Diana's head whipped around to search for Akko. "No, I really think-"

"Aw let her go Diana, I don't have the energy for that right now." Amanda said, cutting Diana off before she could finish.

Diana frowned, her mouth still open with a protest on the tip of her tongue.

"Don't worry Diana! I won't be long." Akko called out as she started up the slope.

Diana hesitated, pursing her lips and mulling something over as she turned to watch Akko's retreating form. "Alright, but be careful Akko!" She called out as a second thought.

"When have I not been careful?" Akko chuckled, half turning as she continued up and gave Diana a lopsided smile, a playful spark dancing in her eyes.

Diana huffed, placing a hand on her hip as she gave Akko That Look. The look with her eyebrows raised and eyes squinting, letting Akko know just how unamused she was. Or at least, how unamused she should be.

Akko's smile widened and she stuck out the tip of her tongue. A small giggle escaped her as she turned back and continued bounding up the slope.

Diana rolled her eyes, a slight tugging at the corners of her mouth betraying her as she followed Akko with her eyes.

She let out a sigh and shook her head. Bringing her attention back to her wand, she concentrated on the flowing energy around her and began reciting incantations.

Amanda flopped down against a moss covered tree near Diana, leaning back with her hands behind her head. Spying a furry tail poke out from behind a rock she brought her wand out. "So how long's that been goin' on?" She asked lazily, as she was partially preoccupied with making a nut float just barely out of reach of the squirrel a few feet away from her.

The tip of Diana's wand glowed a subtle milky blue as the magic slowly flowed out, snaking its way around their small clearing.

Diana's eyes flicked to Amanda, still concentrating on the magic leaving her wand. The tugs at the corners of her mouth disappeared. "I don't know what you are talking about. How long has what been going on?" She asked between spells.

Amanda snorted, letting the nut drop to the forest floor as her concentration lapsed. The squirrel darted out, snatching up the nut and scurried away. "Oh come ooonnnn. It's just me. How long have you and Akko been 'secretly' dating?"

Diana sighed. She had a feeling she would be doing that a lot on this trip. "Akko and I are not in a relationship, Amanda."

Amanda rolled her eyes. " _Alright_." Looks like she abandoned her task for nothing. "Anyway, why did you want me to come along? You never invite me on your little 'only-friends adventures'." Amanda made air quotes to emphasize her point, even if Diana was pointedly ignoring her.

"I'm starting to regret my decision." Diana grumbled, before continuing to recite the long list of protection charms.

Amanda let out a hearty chuckle. "Don't get me wrong, I wanted to get off the grid for a while. Broom racing is a blast, but basking in the limelight has its drawbacks." She leaned forward, picking at the moss at her feet. "Namely, my father always knows where I am and won't stop houndin' my ass to come back to the family business."

She flicked a piece of moss away and pulled her wand out, spinning it around a few times, watching as it twirled through the air. "When Akko said you needed another for your 'platonic gal pal adventures' I was all over that." She threw another glance at Diana. "We've all been curious what you two get up to on these things."

Diana's eyes flicked towards the sky as she took a deep breath, willing herself not to react as she paused her spellwork. "This area isn't as well documented and I anticipate it will be much more dangerous than our previous expeditions." She hesitated a moment, tapping her toe on the soil. "And after the… mishap recently, I am inclined to bring more help than usual."

Amanda's head shot forward, amusement written all over her face. "Oh yeah!" She nearly choked, snorting at the reference. "Akko told me about that. Didn't she almost get eaten by a dragon?!"

Diana grimaced, hoping for more sensitivity around the subject of one of her more recent painful memories. That is quite the exaggeration… but our escape was too close for comfort, I will admit."

Amanda's excitement died down, leaving just a slight smile behind. "So what? You want me to keep an eye out for Akko?"

Diana threw her an indignant glare. "Akko is perfectly capable of taking care of herself. But… yes. There is a very good chance we could run into another dragon out here…" Diana hesitated, chewing on her lip. "I just.. I want to be sure she doesn't needlessly put herself in harm's way again."

Amanda studied Diana for a moment. The usually composed witch seemed tense and maybe a tad worried. She was staring off at nothing, frowning slightly and rolling her wand between her fingers. Amanda wasn't used to seeing Diana let her worry seep through her barrier. Either Akko hadn't told her the whole story or something else was up that Diana wasn't letting on.

"Alright." She heaved herself off the ground, a light smirk replacing her thoughtful expression. "Anything for my love struck BFF."

Diana blinked, startled out of her thoughts. Realizing what Amanda said she lost the fight, rolling her eyes with a humph. "There is nothing going on between us. I care for my friend. That is all."

Amanda snickered. "Tell that to your wandering eyes."

Diana huffed and turned away, flicking a few loose strands of hair out of her face. "I finished enchanting our campsite." She surveyed her handiwork. A dome of magic barely noticeable other than its shimmering light surrounded the clearing around them. She glanced at the receding sun. "Akko should have been back by now… I'm going to go check on her."

"I'm sure she's fine." Amanda said, turning to squint into the forest. Deep within the darkness of the trees around them, something shifted in the shadows, catching her eye. A line appeared between her brows as she scrutinized the movement.

"Nevertheless, I'd like to be on the safe side. I'll be just a few minutes."

Suddenly a sly smile made its way onto Amanda's face, eyes flickering with recognition. "And I'll just be here while you do that, minding my own business. Definitely not going out to look for something."

She waited till Diana had started up the hill before slipping past the barrier herself.

* * *

The air around Akko seemed lighter, more crisp. The smell of the forest mixing with the open air as she climbed. The trees thinning out, leaving the oppressing atmosphere of the forest behind. A wide smile spread across her face as she appreciated the untouched nature thrumming with energy.

This was her favorite part of going on these adventures with Diana. Not the fighting, or excitement, though that was certainly fun. But just taking a moment to _feel_ the magical energy that swirled around her. Feel it flow up from the ground through her boots. Feel it flow through her fingers as they brushed against the trees. Feel it in the air as she breathed, filling her lungs and very being with its energy with each breath. It never ceased to bring her back to the awe and wonder she had first experienced when watching Shiny Chariot perform all those years ago.

She closed her eyes, tilting her head towards the sky, taking in a deep breath. Savoring the tingling sensation of magic surrounding her.

Ever since the revival of magic nearly 8 years ago, magical energy had begun to seep back out into the world. So much had changed since then. The increase in magic allowed mythical beasts of old to make a resurgence since there was enough energy to sustain them. And this brought a vast untapped wealth of knowledge just waiting to be discovered.

Akko chuckled slightly, remembering how excited Diana had looked when they first discovered a magical plant that hadn't been seen in centuries. _These magical entities could allow previously unattainable medical potions and remedies to be created once again_.

Or, at least, that's what Diana had begun spouting excitedly as she ran around grabbing thick, yellowed texts from shelves and pilling them up on a table. Diana had dove head first into her research, kicking off an enthusiastic start to their of their adventures together.

Their first adventure had been one of her favorites. It was right after the success of her first magic show. She had been on cloud nine, adrenaline still pumping through her as she danced and twirled around her dressing room. She could practically hear everyone gushing over how amazing she had been.

And of course, awed by her incredible display of magical prowess, Diana had practically begged her to accompany her on a research trip right then and there.

She giggled, remembering how she had imagined herself as a brave knight leading a fair princess through the dangerous woods in search of some new magical creature.

Although, that had been far from what actually ended up happening-

Akko's eyes snapped open, a muffled noise cutting off her thoughts as it caught her attention. Her eyebrows knit together as she tried to process the noise, straining her ears. Was it a giant man-eating dragon, lying in wait to gobble her up?

Akko shook the thought from her head, grimacing. _No, a giant man-eating dragon would definitely not wait for its meal to come to it_ , she thought ruefully. Her arm still ached at the memory of a certain trip with Diana. Dragon's jaws snapping shut, just barely missing, teeth grazing her skin. She shuddered and rubbed her arm.

A few pebbles and some rubble slid down, coming to a rest at her feet as another noise cut through the air. It was noticeably louder this time, something between a hiss and a whimper.

Now that didn't sound like a dangerous monster. That sounded more like an animal in pain. Akko let go of her arm and crouched, slowly inching forward.

Diana had said to be careful, but whatever was making those noises wasn't dangerous. Plus, there was no harm in doing a little investigating.

Heading in the direction of the noise, Akko squinted, searching for signs of the source of the noise.

Another strained cry rang out, accompanied by a few rocks rolling down the slope on the path to her right. A fist sized rock bounced past her, covered in red, leaving a sloppy trail behind it. Akko kneeled down and lightly wiped at the red liquid with two fingers. Blood.

She stood up quickly, whatever was making those noises was hurt. She took a step before pausing. The creature would be scared and defensive, she couldn't just charge at it like usual. Akko glanced back down at the blood on her hand before nodding to herself.

Slowly and carefully Akko followed the path towards the top of the ridge. Splotches of red were scattered about haphazardly. Sometimes splashed across the ground, sometimes smeared across a rock at head height, seemingly no pattern controlling where the blood would fall.

Rounding a corner, a huge bird like beast covered in feathers came into view. Akko ducked behind a tree, poking her head out to watch it intently, looking for an opportunity to approach.

As Akko studied the creature she realized it wasn't completely covered in feathers. The creature had large blue and white wings and a head that resembled an eagle's. But its lower body, it looked more like a horse than any bird Akko had ever seen.

Akko racked her brain, she could have sworn Diana had mentioned something like this before. A Griffin maybe?

She peered closer, trying to find the source of all the blood, which was hard when the red mess was smeared all over the ground and across its feathers. The 'Maybe Griffin' was hiding behind its wing, its head reaching inside every once in a while.

Suddenly it jerked its head back with another cry, flailing its wings to try and steady itself, exposing a nasty gash across its back leg.

Three deep claw marks marred the beast's otherwise pristine skin. The wound was puffy and red, dark red still oozing out.

 _If that wound isn't treated it could get infected, or even cause the 'Maybe Griffin' to bleed out!_

Akko rushed forward, forgetting her plan to be cautious. The unexpected movement startled the beast and it let out a strangled screech, scrambling up onto its legs

"AHH! I'm sorry for startling you!" Akko skidded to a halt, bowing deeply, hair falling down around her face. "I just want to help you!"

The beast paused its struggling, pulling its injured leg in defensively as it squinted at her.

She lifted her head up slightly, still bowing. "I've never met a Griffin befor-"

The 'Definitely Not A Griffin I'm Sorry Ok's head arched back, wings straining to spread out wide as it screeched at her.

Akko scrambled back, barely avoiding a wing as it swiped over her head. "Alright, Alright! I'm sorry! Not a Griffin!"

The 'Not Griffin' snorted, flicking its tail in irritation; but settled down nonetheless, partially folding its wings, one still held at an odd angle so as to not touch its leg.

Akko let out a breath, studying the beast. The creature eyed her before returning to 'caring' for its wound.

It did seem less defensive, she thought, maybe she was getting through to it. Akko inched closer. "Sooo… If you're not a Griffin what are you?"

If the creature had eyebrows it would have been raising them, casting an incredulous look at her from over its wing.

"Oh wait! You're the other one!" She flashed a bright smile at the beast. "A Hippogryph right?! I'll call you Hip!"

The Hippogryph blinked slowly at her before 'Humphing' and ducking back under its wing.

Akko giggled, taking another step closer. "Aww don't be like that, Hip. You know…" another step, "I have a friend who's a lot like you." She knelt down, tucking her legs behind her as she sat. "Who doesn't like to admit when they need help."

Hip kept its head pointedly hidden, still covering its injury with its wing.

Seeing as it hadn't moved away or freaked out again Akko took that as encouragement, scooting a bit closer, ignoring the blood getting all over her jeans. "She's so stubborn. And lately, I feel like things have been even more distant between us."

The Hippogryph flashed a glance at her, shifting its body slightly to ease the weight off its injured leg.

"But just like with her, I am going to sit here until you let me help you. I don't care if you think you can do it by yourself."

The beast lifted its head out from under its wing, holding her fierce stare.

Akko continued to hold its gaze, as she talked. "I'm not as oblivious as I used to be, I know she's hurting, but sometimes you can't just charge in." She looked off, a wistful smile on her face. "Even if that would make everything easier."

Akko gently touched the tips of the Hippogryph's feathers. The rich blue feathers stuck together in clumps, blood smeared across haphazardly. "I feel like being happy and pretending I don't notice makes her the most comfortable, she closes off more whenever I pry."

Hip cocked its head, slowly raising its wing to reveal its back leg.

Akko gave it a small knowing smile and sat up on her knees. She leaned over the wound, careful not to touch anything as she inspected it. "She's been really focused on her research lately. I hope whatever this trip is for is what she's been looking for. I just want her to be happy."

Akko pulled out her wand. "Hang on for a moment. She taught me a spell for something like this, but it'll take a while." She steeled herself, taking in a deep breath. " **Leigheas**." The tip of her wand glowed a light blue as she held it over the deep gashes.

Akko shifted, getting a little more comfortable as she watched the faint light drip down onto the wound. She reached up with her free hand, gently stroking her new friend absentmindedly.

"Ya know, for the longest time I didn't realize how important she was to me." The flowing light crept along the first gash, coating the edges and soaking into it. "She went from my rival to a friend and someone I admired."

The magic light seemed to be taking some of the pain away as it seeped into Hip's leg, a small sigh escaped its beak as it slumped down slightly, giving Akko more room to pet the Hippogryph's head.

"We were so close in our last years at school. She even helped set me up with a producer to start doing shows after we graduated. But being away from her hurt so much." She looked up at Hip. "You know, that hurt deep down in your chest, that ache that just won't go away?"

She shook her head, focusing back on the magic surrounding the beast's leg. "I missed my friends, but with Diana… it was like something in my chest was missing."

Hip snorted, blowing her bangs back. She looked up incredulously, only to find it giving her a playful look. "Looks like you're feeling a little better." She grumbled to herself, rolling her eyes. "Well, I finally convinced her to let me come on a trip with her. Mostly so I could be with her, heh." She chuckled softly, rubbing the back of her neck.

The light of Akko's magic was slowly fading, leaving behind, still tender, but nearly healed skin. "Diana means the world to me, I'd do anything and everything to help her."

As the last of the light faded she sat back, admiring her handiwork. She had really gotten good, hadn't she! Maybe Diana would have been able to fully heal the wound, but she had done a mighty fine job if she said so herself.

She gave Hip a wide smile, brushing off some dirt and standing up. "You have someone who cares about you too, don't you Hip? They would want you safe, even if you had to get help, wouldn't they?" She wiggled her eyebrows playfully.

Hip snorted and flicked her with the corner of its wing.

Akko laughed, shooing the beast's feathers away from her face. "Ahaha, yeah yeah. Now you better get home before someone starts worrying about you." She gave the beast a playful wink and took a step back to give it more room.

Hesitantly, Hip stood. Gingerly placing weight on its front leg. Glancing at her uncertainty as it did.

Akko nodded encouragingly, balling up her fists eagerly and holding them close to her chest. "That's it! You got it!"

The beast took a few experimental steps forward. It glanced back at Akko again, who was nodding vigorously, on her toes and leaning forward in anticipation.

Slowly Hip unfurled its wings, crouching down slightly as it readied to take off. Without much warning the beast leaped forward off the ledge, wings beating hard, stirring up the dirt and rubble around Akko.

Akko threw up her hands to block the wind and debris from hitting her face, watching as the beast flew off. "Yeah!" She jumped up and waved after it excitedly. She watched her new friend grow smaller in the sky, her heart soaring as high as the Hippogryph was flying. If only all her problems could be solved with magic.


	2. Chapter 2

Amanda picked her way through the overgrown trees, stepping over large roots and jagged rocks that covered the forest floor. She narrowed her eyes, trying to adjust to the dark. For a brief moment, a silhouette presented itself to her in the remaining sunlight that filtered through the thick foliage. She saw the shadow dart behind a tree. Smiling to herself, she followed the retreating figure into the unknown.

The shifting darkness and thick undergrowth prevented continuous sight of the mysterious figure, but just when Amanda would think she lost them they would reappear at the edge of her vision. They peeked out from behind a tree before darting behind a new one, playing a game of cat and mouse with her.

Carefully placing her feet so as to minimize the noise she made, she quietly inched around a large gnarled tree she last saw the shadow slip behind, hoping to finally catch the figure unawares. But all her sneaky effort was rewarded with was more empty forest. Frowning slightly, she slowly crept forward. A gentle breeze carried the sound of a windchime towards her. _No, it isn't quite a windchime,_ she thought to herself. _It's more like a light, airy tinkling_.

Amanda stepped past the last tree out into a small clearing, the remaining sunshine of the day raining down upon the glade. A tall, proud Ash tree stood in the middle of the open area, calling to her.

As she stared, a figure (the figure?) stepped through the side of the Ash, the very bark of the tree pulling away with it. But the action was so smooth, as if they were passing through a sheet of water, ripples rolling across the surface of the tree.

A woman who looked about her age emerged from the tree. An aura of raw energy emanated off of her. Amanda let out a whistle, slowly eyeing her as she unconsciously drew closer to the mysterious Dryad.

Her skin was a soft, light green and her hair had, what Amanda could only describe as, a leafy quality to it. Bark covered her feet and legs up to her mid thighs like boots, and leaves and flowers were woven together into a dress. A belt made of intertwining branches was cinching it at her waist, accentuating her hourglass figure.

The Dryad gave her a playful smile, hand running down the side of the Ash lightly. "I didn't know there were any witches in my forest." Her words rolled off her tongue as her lips curled up in amusement at her new visitor.

"And I didn't know there were any Dryads in this forest." Amanda chuckled. Her worry that this little excursion with the Duo of Denial would end up more dull than she had planned was quickly evaporating with each step toward the enticing wood nymph.

The Dryad's eyes slowly dragged down Amanda's body, taking in the witch's lean, fit physique. "There's a lot about this forest you don't know." She stepped away from the safety of her tree, closing the distance between her and the stranger she had lured in.

"Oh is that so?" Amanda wiggled her eyebrows with a playful smile as she leaned forward. "And I'm not just any witch, I'll have you know. I'm one if the 9 New Witches!"

The Dryad cocked an eyebrow. "Oh? 9 New Witches? Is that a spin on the 9 Old Witches? It has been many years since their magic faded after all. If that is true then you must be very powerful!"

Amanda winked. "You have no idea. We're the ones that brought magic back. I'm also the reigning champion of the Bristol Broom Race. So you could say I'm something of a celebrity."

"Brought back magic and a Champion? How impressive. You are quite the catch." The Dryad drew out her words, lightly dragging her fingers up Amanda's arm. "I'm Meliae by the way." She giggled again, the light tinkling floating in the air around Amanda, circling and wrapping its way around her mind.

Amanda gave her a lopsided grin. "You can call me Amanda."

Meliae leaned in, her hand lightly resting on Amanda's shoulder as her lips grazing her ear. "Amanda? Such a lovely name. Why don't you stay with me for a spell?"

Amanda's eyes glazed over, the warm comforting feeling in her mind growing stronger. "This trip could certainly use some spicing up."

"I'm glad." Meliae said as she slowly pulled away, she took Amanda's hand, giving it a light tug as she took a step back. "You must be thirsty, I have just the thing for you."

Amanda let Meliae lead her forward. "Oh-ho, I am feeling parched."

Meliae gave her a small smile, something twinkling in her eye that Amanda didn't have the mental capacity to decipher at the moment. "One sip and you'll see the true wonders of this forest. You won't want to leave."

Amanda stopped in her tracks, unintentionally jerking the Dryad's arm. "Wait, why wouldn't I want to leave? This place is cool and all but why would I want to stay cooped up here when I can explore the world?"

Caught off guard, the smile slipped from Meliae's face, momentarily replaced with a slight crease in her brow. "Why would you stay cooped up? Why would you leave? What could the harsh world outside my beloved forest possibly have to offer?"

The fuzzy feeling gripping Amanda's brain thinned as an indignant wave washed over her. "There's loads to see and do! Why, I'm going on a dangerous adventure into those mountains nearby tomorrow!"

Trying to salvage her earlier composure, Meliae quirked an eyebrow at Amanda inquisitively. "And what is the allure of exploring some baren mountain top when my thriving forest is right here?"

"Well Diana's looking for some magical item or another, but I'm in it for the thrill of it. Haven't you ever just gone on a dangerous adventure for the hell of it?" Amanda dropped the wood nymphs hand so she could gesture vaguely.

"Humph." Meliae put her now empty hands on her hips. "Why don't you take me with you on your 'dangerous' adventure then?"

Amanda paused, hands in mid air. "Huh, ya know, that could be way more entertaining than dealing with those two alone…" She trailed off as she thought it over, her mind finally clear.

Meliae gave her a smug smile. "Then it's settled. You can attempt to show me the wonders outside my forest. However, if you show me nothing of note, you have to drink the Water of Brokilon and stay with me."

"Ha!" Amanda belted out a laugh, "You're funny if you think I can't show you something truly amazing. You got yourself a deal." She grabbed the Dryad's hand to seal the deal. The pair stared each other down as they shook hands.

A smirk slowly snuck it's way across Amanda's face as they stood, hands still locked. "But, why don't I show you something I learned outside this forest right now."

The nymph chuckled as Amanda gave her a sly wink.

* * *

Diana made her way up the slope, keeping her eyes peeled for any signs of her MIA friend. She hadn't heard any noises that would indicate Akko had run across any beasts, and if she had gotten in any real trouble she would have sent up a flare.

 _What could that damn girl be up to?_

It wasn't as if Diana didn't trust her. Akko had become a very capable witch, putting on incredible shows and fighting monstrous creatures at her side for years now.

But she did have the tendency to… get involved in things she should not.

Something caught Diana's attention just up the path. Quickening her pace, she came up to a red splotch on a rock. It glistened in the sun, still slightly wet.

Blood.

There was blood. A trail of it by the looks of it.

Diana's steps faltered as her eyes hesitantly followed the trail of drying blood, fearing the worst. It could be Akko's blood, this wouldn't be the first time. Neither of them were strangers to danger.

But all their years of experience never eased her worry. Akko always dove headlong into danger; often literally. Trusting Diana to catch, save, or cover for her. Except Diana couldn't be there for her all the time. She couldn't… be there for her forever.

She picked up her pace, running up the path, barely avoiding tripping over the rough ground.

A chill ran through Diana, her eyes falling onto the horrific sight before her; Akko cowering under the wings of a wild Hippogryph, her hands and legs smeared with blood.

She jolted forward, heartbeat thundering in her ears. Reaching for her wand. Too slow. She was going too slow. She had to do something.

She couldn't let Akko…

She had to…

Laughter cut through the air. Shattering the spell that had gripped her heart.

Akko was laughing? And… petting the Hippogryph?

Looking closer, Diana saw Akko's wand out, a faint blue glowing around the leg of the wild beast.

Akko wiped her hands on her pant leg, blood and dirt staining the already worn jeans. The blood wasn't Akko's, she was ok. And her movement was so casual, even in the presence of such a powerful beast.

Diana let out her breath in a short, shallow burst of disbelief. How?

She shook her head, a slight smile ghosting her lips. No. It didn't matter how. Akko just had a way with creatures. A way with people. No matter how annoying or overly enthusiastic she would be, they always fell in love with her some way or another.

Diana slumped slightly against a tree just off the path, its bark rough on her shoulder even through her shirt, taking a long steadying breath before chuckling to herself in relief. She should have known. Akko wasn't as helpless as she once was.

Which was good, it would make everything easier.

She watched Akko tuck a strand of hair behind her ear as she leaned in while talking to the beast, stroking its head soothingly. The rays of the setting sun lit the pair in a warm orange glow. Akko's expression was compassionate and earnest. The kind of look Diana loved the most about her friend.

Something stirred in her. If life was different... If it was as simple as it had been back in her school years, before she knew what she knew now. If she could only allow herself to be selfish.

Diana let out a sigh and shook her head. It was no use falling down that rabbit hole. She had made peace with her decision. She couldn't allow Akko to go through the same pain she had once suffered. Even these trips together were too much. This would be the last one if the impossible wasn't achieved. The last time she let herself indulge in Akko's warm presence. The odds that they could find what she searched for, and that it could be a key she desperately sought were so slim. She couldn't let herself hope.

Up ahead Akko stood and brushed the dirt off her knees, giving the Hippogryph an encouraging smile. The Hippogryph hesitated, slowly rising and gently putting pressure on its front leg.

"That's it! You got it!" Akko yelled, her voice carrying over to Diana.

After a few cautious steps the Hippogryph pushed off, taking into the air. It's enormous, powerful wings beating hard and kicking up dirt.

The wind swirled around Akko, causing her stumble back a step as she covered her eyes.

Diana pushed off the tree, walking up beside Akko as the wind settled down. "What have I said about avoiding the creatures of the forest?" Diana asked, a slight twinkle in her eye, the corners of her mouth twitching.

"ACK!" Akko jumped with a start, a shudder passing through her whole body. "Gah, Diana! Don't sneak up on me like that!"

Diana covered her mouth as she giggled. "My apologies." She watched the Hippogryph grow smaller as it soared higher into the mountains. "You never fail to surprise me, Akko. To be able to not only gain the trust of such a proud beast so quickly, but have it allow you to heal it. That is truly impressive."

Akko's gaze shifted to the side. She scratched her cheek, feeling them tinge with warmth. From all the Hippogryph excitement, of course. "Thanks, Diana."

Diana studied Akko fondly. The light blush Akko wore was only accentuated by the golden glow of the setting sun. Akko held her heart on her sleeve, it was too big to fit in her chest after all. She would help anyone, friend, enemy, and rival alike. "I only state facts. Now let's get you cleaned up and back to camp."

Akko blinked, glancing down at her clothes. Blood and dirt decorated her legs, a bloody handprint was smeared across her thigh, her knees were scuffed, and a there was a tear in her sleeve.

"Eh heh. Oops."

* * *

Once Akko was in acceptable shape, the two made their way back to the clearing where Amanda was supposedly waiting for them.

The trip back was quieter than normal. Usually, Diana would be going over the logistics of their current quest, or dangers to watch out for. But she was silent, seemingly lost in thought.

That seemed to be the case more and more often lately. Something was different now. As if there had been a shift in their relationship. Diana wasn't letting her in as much.

After all that time slowly breaking down Diana's barriers, it felt like she was practically back to the beginning! Well, maybe not the _beginning_. Diana still laughed at her jokes, even if she tried to hide it.

She still let Akko in when she smiled. And if that was true, Akko just needed to make her laugh a whole lot more.

Spotting a cluster of rocks Akko dashed ahead, the sudden movement rousing Diana from her thoughts.

Akko scrambled up the rock pile, which was higher than her head, as Diana drew close. "Hey, Diana look!" She struck a pose, head held high and to the side, arms flexing above her. "I've conquered this mighty mountain! Nothing can withstand my might!" She snickered and snuck a few glances at Diana while trying to maintain her aura of grandiose.

Diana raised an eyebrow. But she couldn't hold out for long, unsuccessfully trying to stifle a snort behind her hand as her mask broke. "Well, you certainly are standing on a large rock."

Akko giggled, dropping her pose as her shoulders shook.

"Yeah, those other rocks better watch out. They don't know what's comin' for them." She knelt down at the edge and pushed off, one hand steadying her as she slid down the rock face. Her feet landed on the uneven ground and she staggered, momentum carrying her forward.

Diana stepped close, catching the flailing girl in her arms. Her senses filled with the familiar scent of Akko, mixed with the faint lingering tinge of blood, sweat, and dirt. The smell of countless adventures the two had shared.

Diana could feel the solid weight of Akko pressed against her chest, her friend shaking with laughter as she clutched onto her savor. "Thanks for the catch, Diana."

Diana chuckled and her gaze softened, taking in the sight of Akko giggling in her arms. Akko's bangs fell into her eyes, her nose crinkled as she laughed and her smile seemed to take up the world. Diana could watch her forever. They were so close their breaths intermingled as Akko's laughter calmed down.

As she tried to catch her breath she was left looking into Diana's eyes. The soft adoring gaze that they held for her.

She was wrong before. The unbridled energy that filled the Earth wasn't her favorite part of these adventures with Diana. The small moments like these were. She held them close to her heart. The times that Diana let her in.

Staring at each other as if there was no one else in the world. The warmth of the setting sun. The fresh air that surrounded them, brimming with energy. All of it combining in the atmosphere around them.

Akko's laughter had died down, but she couldn't catch her breath. Her favorite place to be, with her favorite person. She felt so much love and affection radiating off of Diana. Felt it in the look she gave her, the hands that wrapped around her, the lips that were curved ever so slightly.

And her lips. Diana's pristine lips. The ones that reprimanded and encouraged her. The ones that taunted her with their softness.

She looked back into Diana's eyes, but there was something else behind them, hiding in the depths. Something she just couldn't put her finger on.

Diana cleared her throat, stepping back as she let Akko go. "I'm sure Amanda is waiting for us so we can eat. We should be on our way." Biting her lip she turned away, walking back down the path.

Akko blinked, before clearing her head with a shake. "Oh. Right." She urged her feet to move, stumbling forward as she caught up with Diana. "So, did you finish setting up camp?"

"Hmm? Oh, I finished the protective enchantments. We can set up for dinner when we get back."

"Eehh~?" A smug grin snuck its way onto Akko's face. If silly jokes didn't work, teasing could always do the trick. She leaned forward as she walked, hands clasped behind her back. "And what made you come early to look for me? Did you miss me that much?"

"Wha-! No!" Diana cried a little too fast, a slight heat creeping up her neck.

Akko's grin grew wider as she wiggled her eyebrows.

Diana closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before sighing heavily. She pushed the feelings down. She couldn't do this, not now. "Well can you blame me, Akko? I was worried you might have gotten into trouble. You're so reckless sometimes."

"Hey!" Akko cried indignantly, her face dropping into a pout. "Diana we've been doing this for ages! You know I can handle myself! Humph. Don't you trust me anymore?"

Diana rolled her eyes. "Of course I trust you, Akko."

"Is this about last time? We talked about this!"

Diana frowned, her steps hesitating for only a moment. "Yes. We did. But I'm not always going to be around to protect you if something goes wrong. You need to learn to control your impulses."

Akko crossed her arms, "Wha-! Hey! I was the one protecting you with those oh-so-terrible impulses!"

"Akko! You almost died because of it!" Diana snapped, the cracks in her facade finally broken.

"I couldn't just let you get eaten!" Akko groaned, throwing her hands up.

"That is beside the matter, Akko." Diana clenched her jaw, willing herself to get her emotions back under control. They couldn't do this now. They had already come to an agreement. And she wouldn't have to worry about Akko putting herself in danger for much longer, for better or worse.

Akko rolled her eyes. "Oh, so you would've rather I just let that dragon rip your head off and done nothing?"

"Yes." Diana responded bluntly. They didn't have time to rehash this argument again.

"Wha-" Akko froze, a chill running through her as her steps halting abruptly. She stared at Diana in horror as the magnitude of her words hit her like a punch to the gut. That single word, thrown out so casually, playing over and over in Akko's mind.

"What the hell, Diana."

"Akko!-"

"Diana," Akko said, cutting her off. "don't say something like that. I thought we agreed we'd always have each other's backs. I'd never let something like that happen to you." She searched Diana's expression. Desperate for some clue as to why her closest friend would say something so distressing that offhandedly.

"Akko," Diana reached out to her, her agitation giving way at the hurt look in Akko's eyes. "We can protect and look out for one another, but you can not simply sacrifice yourself for me. You need to think about yourself more."

"Wow, look who's talking. I'm not the only one that needs to think about themselves more." Akko's jaw set as she dug her heels in even harder. Why was Diana acting so _stupidly_? It wasn't a sacrifice if they worked together. Did she just want Akko to stand there and do nothing?

"Akko." Diana sighed.

"Diana." Akko said through a pout.

"Amanda!"

"And Maliea!"

A pair of cheery voices interrupted their standstill, startling them as they whipped their heads around towards the approaching pair.

"Hey guess what, I made a friend!"

"... Excuse me?"

* * *

Notes:

I've pulled the lore for this story from a bunch of different places. The Water of Brokilon is actually from The Witcher and is used to turn girls into human-dryads. Meliea is the name of nymphs of Ash trees in Greek mythology.

Wowie life rly got in the way much more than I anticipated. With overtime at work and planning a wedding I had no time to write. Also I can never seem to finish anything xD I hope future chapters won't take this long.


	3. Chapter 3

"So let me get this straight… You left the safety of the campsite to follow a mysterious forest inhabitant-"

"Maliea!"

"...to follow Maliea… And then decided to bring her along on our potentially life threatening expedition."

"Well first of all, none of us do anything 'straight'. Amiright?" Amanda said, cutting her off. She wiggled her eyebrows, gaze darting between an unamused Diana and a confused Akko.

Diana crossed her arms and let out an exasperated sigh. Maybe bringing Amanda was more trouble that it was worth, she was certainly exhausting to deal with.

"Anyway, we have this bet going, and with her Dryad powers and knowledge of this forest she could really help us." Amanda continued.

"Maybe we shouldn't shoot down the idea right away Diana. She could be helpful, like a local guide." Akko piped up as she gave the Dryad a wide smile, stepping forward to offer her hand. "Nice to meet you Maliea. I'm Atsuko Kagari, but you can call me Akko!"

"The pleasure's all mine Akko." She took Akko's hand lightly, letting her fingers graze against Akko's skin as she let go. "When Amanda said she was traveling with other capable witches she didn't mention there would be someone as obviously remarkable as you. I can feel the magical energy radiating off of you. It's something I haven't seen since before the decline of magic." Her eyes traveled slowly down Akko's body and back up as she spoke.

"Oh wow, heh. Thanks, hard work pays off I guess." Akko felt a subtle burn spread across her ears and she rubbed the back of her head. She opened her mouth to say more, but a hand gripped her shoulder caused her to pause.

"Yes. Akko is a very talented witch, and I am lucky to have her help on these expeditions." Diana's words had a sharper glint to them than usual, her eyes steeled as she eyed the newcomer. "I'm not so sure a _bet_ is the best basis for a new party member.

Diana's eyes locked onto the dryad's, giving her a silent warning. Maliea tilted her head and smiled, feigning innocence.

"And what basis do you usually use to choose party members? Magical prowess? That is something I have plenty of. Friendship perhaps? Or is it something more?" Maliea asked, her voice dripping with sweetness.

"Someone who's trustworthy and dependable for a start." Diana replied curtly.

Akko shifted awkwardly under the change in atmosphere, not entirely sure why Diana was so against Amanda's new friend. They had gotten help from the local inhabitants before, why was this any different?

Amanda laughed, "Aw Diana, I didn't know you thought I was dependable. I'm touched." She wiped away a faux tear.

Ignoring the jest, the Dryad pressed on. "If your party members are trustworthy than wouldn't it seem that their judgment was trustworthy as well?"

Diana's eye twitched as she struggled to maintain her usual composure. "Just because I trust them doesn't mean I trust their judgment."

Amanda stepped between the glaring war. "Oof. Yeah well, I'm starved. Let's get back to camp. We can question my judgment to our hearts content when our bellies are full. We came to get you cause you were taking too long."

Right on cue, Akko's stomach let out a low rumble. "Ahahaha," she awkwardly blurted out, "good idea Amanda." She scampered forward, anxious to move past the current tension. "Hey Maliea, what kind of foods do you usually eat?" She grabbed the dryad's arm, pulling her down the path.

As the sun sunk below the horizon, the already dimly lit forest was swallowed in darkness. The sound of crickets soon accompanied the crunch of their footsteps. The girls lit the tips of their wands, bathing the ground in a soft green hue as they walked.

Diana kept stride by Amanda's side. "You should be more careful around Dryads. They often have hidden motives and will always put their forest above all else." She whispered, keeping her voice low.

Amanda chuckled. "Oh I know. I already know what she wants, heh. Don't worry so much, this will make things more interesting. And she really is a treasure trove of knowledge."

Something in the smug tone of Amanda's voice made Diana doubt her objectivity on the matter. Her eyes flicked over to the lively pair conversing in front of them. "I will not allow her to put Akko in any unnecessary danger."

"Akko's a lot sturdier than you think, Diana. If I were you I'd be more worried about someone snatching her up before you do."

"There is nothing to 'snatch' her from as you put it. Akko is her own person."

"Oh? Then you weren't jealous when Maliea was stripping her with her eyes?"

Diana scoffed, partially to hide her embarrassment over the thought of stripping Akko. "I do not appreciate the lewd commentary, Amanda. And I don't want that Dryad tricking Akko into becoming a protector of the forest as she is obviously trying to do with you."

"Oh please, like a Dryad's magic could get to me so easily. I really do think she could help us, Diana." _Or at least make this trip more bearable,_ Amanda thought to herself.

Diana raised her eyebrows. "If you are above her magical influence like you claim, then why are you covered in grass stains? And were those splinters I saw earlier?"

"Please, everyone needs to let off some steam here and there." Amanda said, brushing off the comment.

Diana pursed her lips, her faith in humanity dying just a little more with each word that slipped past Amanda's mouth. "If the two of you are to continue on this expedition with us please keep your _activities_ to yourself."

Their conversation was cut short as they passed through the thin veil of magic acting as a barrier to their campsite. Once inside the sounds of the forest were muffled, the air warmer and more cozy than that of the open forest.

"We're back! Diana, I'm gonna make smores! Maliea's never heard of them before!" Akko called over her shoulder as she started rifling through her pack.

"Let's have some proper dinner first and then we can. Give me a moment." Diana called back to Akko. "Make sure you two behave yourselves or I _will_ send you back." She hissed quietly at Amanda.

Amanda held her hands up defensively. "Ok ok, don't get your panties in a twist. I'll make sure Maliea keeps her hands to herself."

Diana clicked her tongue.

"And my hands." Amanda added reluctantly.

Diana pointed her wand at the pile of wood stacked in the middle of their clearing. " **Ignious fau!** " An orange spark shot from her wand, it's flames flickered to life as it engulfed the wood.

The warm glow of the fire spread out across their campsite as the flames settled down, casting long wavering shadows. Diana flicked her wand again, causing 3 sleeping packings to fly over to their heads to different spots circling the campfire.

"AAAAAAAHHHH?!" Maliae screeched, backpedaling quickly. Her feet caught on the bed roll unfurling behind her and she came crashing down, her fall at least cushioned by the soft padding. Not taking the time to gather her bearings she scrambled backwards, digging her heels into the soft dirt for leverage. "W-What are you doing?! Fire is deadly to my forest and I!"

Akko quickly ditched her bag of marshmallows and knelt beside the distraught Dryad. "Hey it's ok! You don't have to worry about that!" She said, trying to reassure her. "Ever since this one time my robes caught fire Diana always uses magical non-burning fire!"

To prove her point she plunged her arm into the flames, watching them dance around her. "See! It's totally safe!" She waved her arm around in the flames. "I could lay on them if I wanted to!"

"Yo Akko, eat some of the flames. That'll show her." Amanda chimed in, barely containing her laughter.

"Oh! Good-"

"Do **not** eat the flames Akko." Diana said, cutting her off.

Akko huffed, cheeks puffing out in indignation. "It woulda' been fine."

Amanda fell back, clutching her stomach as she cackled.

Meliae's eyes were wide, never having strayed from the arm still in the flames. "They aren't burning you?"

"Nope! Here, why don't you try?" Akko said, perking up and gesturing for Maliae to come closer.

Hesitantly, the Dryad held her arm out, inching it closer and closer to the flames. Testing the air. "It's still hot." She said, drawing her hand back quickly.

"Diana can control how hot it gets and she would never let it burn me. So she won't let it happen to you either, I promise." Akko said confidently, she swiped her hand through the flames a few more times as she tried to prove her point.

Maliae searched for Diana, wondering if she really could trust Diana to keep the flames at bay. But the witch in question had her turned her back to them again as she finished preparing their dinner, ignoring the Dryad's internal plight. She looked back at Akko who gave her an encouraging nod. Surely if Akko's hand was still in the flames, Diana wouldn't let the fire get too hot. If there was a chance to hurt the rambunctious witch Diana wouldn't risk it… Right?

Coming to a decision she took a deep breath and shut her eyes tightly, slowly sticking her arm out. She sat frozen for a few moments waiting for the pain, but none followed. Slowly opening her eyes she took in a sight she never expected. Fire. Dancing and wavering around her unprotected arm. Her arm that was the very embodiment of the trees and forest.

"Incredible." She whispered, letting the tips of the flames tickle her hand. She was entranced by the site, her natural enemy, harmlessly glowing in front of her. "Then… why use the wood at all if it doesn't burn?"

Akko opened her mouth then closed it, pulling her hand from the fire to rub her chin thoughtfully. "Hmmm, I never thought of that. Dramatic effect?"

Diana chuckled as she walked up to Akko and handed her a skewer. "It serves as an anchor. It could be anything really, but I've found burning wood is less shocking to see than someone's possessions."

Akko grabbed the skewer from Diana eagerly, grimacing at the vegetables mixed in with the juicy meat.

Amanda flopped down next to them, a skewer crammed full of meat in her hand. "I told you you'd see some new things on this trip. That's one point for me. Now move your hand out so I can cook this."

Maliae pulled her hand back. "I suppose I will have to concede that point to you. I never would have expected a fire like this, even after encountering witches previously."

Amanda and Akko happily plunged their skewers into the fire and it roared to life, a fresh wave of heat blowing over them.

Diana handed Maliea a skewer without looking at her, and sat down opposite Amanda. The campsite was soon filled with the sounds of popping and sizzling meat as the girls watched their food cook.

Amanda pulled her skewer out, squeezing the meat to check if it was done, juices dripping onto the ground. Her version of done being 'hot and raw' just like she liked other things in her life. "So Diana, fill me in on the details. I get that this area is more dangerous than the other places Akko's told me you've gone, which is why you need my help, but you never told me _exactly_ what we're looking for."

Diana considered her words for a moment. "During my research I came across a line of text indicating that a certain mythical beast once resided here. Since many beasts of old have been resurrected with the resurgence of magic, I hypothesized that it too would revive once there was enough magical energy available. I would be able to extract a rare magical ingredient for a medicinal tonic I am creating that would exponentially increase its chances for success."

Amanda rolled her eyes. "Yeah, so Akko, what are we here for?"

She shrugged, using her teeth to rip off a chunk of meat before responding. "I dun' know. There's a monster and Diana wants to find it. That's enough for me." Akko took a large swig from her flask she scavenged from her bag, washing down the oversized bite.

"Ok well, your girlfriend wanting to go on a trip may be enough for you but it's not for me."

Akko coughed and spit out her water, spraying it all over the fire in front of them. The fire only flickering briefly before returning to normal, another perk of magical flames it seemed. "We just go on trips together a lot! So I know how these things usually go."

"Two girls going on adventures all the time is pretty gay, Akko."

Diana cleared her throat. "If you must know, this is in relation to a legend involving the healing properties exhibited in secretions of a mythical beast."

"Going on life threatening adventures keeps my magic in top form for my performances! Just because it's with my hot best friend doesn't mean anything, Amanda!" Akko yelled, partially drowning out Diana's response.

"So you are looking for a powerful, recently reformed magical creature in the mountains North of my forest?" Maliae interjected, taking pity on the floundering red faced witch.

"Yes, I hypothesized that the ambient magical levels of the peaks would be sufficient to sustain it's rebirth."

"Humph, stupid Amanda." Akko grumbled into her food.

"How were you planning on getting to the peaks? Were you going to fly? The winds have always been ferocious the higher up the mountains you go. I have yet to meet a witch who could make the journey." Maliae said. She took her skewer out of the fire to inspect it, eyeing it carefully before taking a dainty bite.

"Yeah the winds were pretty tough, even for me." Amanda added.

"I read up on the many attempts to reach the peaks of the northern mountains and it seems the few that made it found a series of cave tunnels that lead to the top." Diana said.

Akko swallowed down the rest of her food, even eating the veggies after catching a look from Diana. "Oh nice! Cave exploring!"

Akko grabbed the bag of marshmallows laying beside her and ripped it open, sending a few flying in the process.

Maliae flinched slightly as a marshmallow hit her cheek. "The caves lead to the top? I am friends with a troll who lives in some caves. Maybe she would know which way to take."

"Oh shit no way! See, I told you she would be helpful!" Amanda said triumphantly as she punched the air.

"Awesome Maliae!" Akko poked her skewer through a handful of marshmallows and plunged it back in the fire.

Diana studied Maliae, trying to sort through all of her muddled emotions. As much as she didn't want to trust the Dryad, using her to find and potentially navigate the cave systems could be her only chance to make the expedition a success. "That is opportune. Then first thing in the morning you can show us the entrance to these caves and hopefully your troll friend can lead us to the top."

"I'm glad to help." Maliae said.

"Sounds like a plan! Now who wants a marshmallow?!" Akko said excitedly as she pulled the char-black remnants of marshmallows out of the fire.

"What are those supposed to be? I'll show you how the pros roast marshmallows." Amanda scoffied.

The two witches spent the next few minutes bickering over proper toasting levels of marshmallows, insisting Maliae try them all to be the judge. Finally taking pity on Maliae, Diana stepped in and suggested they call it a night.

With their new plan for the following day set the girls cleaned up and got ready to sleep, each getting into their respective sleeping bags. Maliae insisted the ground was enough for her, despite the many protests she received. But once a soft patch of moss started growing up around her the protests soon died down.

Normally Akko would ask Diana for the charm that softened the ground, but her mind was too busy, buzzing with thoughts and questions. She rolled over, trying to ignore the sharp point in her side.

* * *

At some point in the night, Akko was roused from her poor attempts at sleeping. She could hear the faint rhythm of Diana's breathing, even and controlled, as if even in sleep she didn't allow herself to relax all the way. And Amanda's unrestrained guttural snore, that reverberated in the shielded dome around them.

Akko sat up and rubbed her sore back. She stared off into the forest, moonlight barely making it through in the thicker areas, darkness drowning out everything in its reach.

Something caught her eye along the edge of their campsite, reflecting the pale moonlight. Akko blinked and rubbed her eyes trying to clear her vision. She looked again, but this time it wasn't just a glint.

An orb of flickering, ghostly blue light hovered a few feet above the ground. It seemed to dance airily in place, filling her with a sense of playfulness. Bobbing and twirling in place, it beckoned to her. _Come with me_ , it whispered. _Come play with me_.

Akko carefully eased herself out of her sleeping bag, silently praying she didn't disturb her sleeping friends. She inched past Diana, tiptoeing to the edge of the campsite. The ball of swirling light was receding into the forest, she glanced back at her sleeping companions as she hesitated in front of the magical barrier.

Amanda let out something between a snort and a groan as she shifted onto her side. Turning back to the light, Akko stepped out of the protective dome. The magic flowed around her as she passed through, sending ripples across the surface.

The orb was already disappearing into the darkness. Picking up her pace she continued after it. It swirled and taunted her, radiating just out of reach. Where was it leading her?

The forest was unearthly quiet, just her, the trees, and the light as it called to her. She felt a slight wind blowing against her face, but no noise accompanied it. It felt as if a blanket of muteness had surrounded her, muffling the sounds of rustling leaves or chirping crickets. In the back of her mind she wondered if she should be following the orb of light. But every time she questioned herself soothing whispers floated around her.

She laughed, her eyes trained on the shimmering blue light dancing ahead of her. It wanted to show her something. To be her friend.

A heavy mist began to creep its way along the forest floor. Akko's legs were soon obscured as she waded through the haze.

The trees suddenly opened up as the two came to the edge of a drop off. The thick fog poured down over the brink, resembling a slow gentle waterfall.

The light paused at the fringe of the flowing mist. It glowed bright, illuminating the fog around them. Akko was close enough now to see the intricate patterns within it, swirling and mixing. She took another step, hand outstretched, the radiant blue light shimmering and coaxing her closer.

" _AKKO!_ "

A strong hand grabbed onto her arm, fingers digging in painfully.

Akko struggled to get away, staring longingly at the light. "No let go!" She yanked at her arm, taking another desperate step toward it. The swirling ball of light taunted her, just out of her reach. _She was so close._

Another hand seized her, whipping her around, away from the wonderful light.

" _Akko stop! You're going to fall!_ " The voice hissed at her.

Akko tried to shake herself free, eyes clenched in frustration. "What are you talking about? I'm so close!"

" _Akko look at me!_ "

No she couldn't. She couldn't be distracted. Not when she was about to catch the light.

The hands captured her cheeks, pulling her face closer. " _Please, Akko._ "

Something in the pleading voice jogged Akko's memory. She opened her eyes only to find a scared and desperate Diana inches from her.

"Diana…?" Akko breathed.

Diana slumped down, her head falling onto Akko's shoulder. "Thank the nine. Akko, you scared me."

Akko looked around. They stood at the brink of a drop off, the darkness below almost deafening. The light and mist were nowhere to be found. "Wait, where did the light go?"

Diana let out a heavy, shaky breath. "Akko that was a Will-o-the-wisp. They lure travelers to their untimely death."

" _What?!_ "

"I'm so glad I found you in time. I don't know what I'd do…" Diana's voice trailed off. She held onto her tightly, head still resting on her shoulder.

Akko blinked, trying to process her surroundings. She had almost willingly walked off the edge of a cliff. She practically fought to throw herself over. She shuddered to think what would have happened if Diana hadn't stopped her.

Diana took a long slow breath, holding it for a moment before letting it out. "Let's get back to camp."

Akko nodded numbly in agreement.

The trip back was quiet, both girls consumed by their own thoughts. Although Diana stubbornly refused to let go of Akko's hand as if she expected her to wander off again.

Once they were back in the safety of their magically protected campsite, they each let out a sigh of relief. Akko leaned over meaning to get in her sleeping bag, but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder.

"Eh? Diana?"

"I have to make sure you don't go wandering off again." Diana bent down and picked up the sleeping bag, carrying it over to where hers lay. "I'm not letting you out of my sight again."

Akko opened her mouth to protest, but quickly shut it again at the look Diana gave her. "Ok."

The two settled into their adjacent spots. The silence around them broken by the crickets and occasional snore from a certain someone.

Akko stared up at the canopy above them. "Hey Diana."

Diana hummed in response, turning her head to look at her.

"Thanks for saving me."

Diana let out a soft chuckle. "That's what I do Akko."

Akko giggled, looking away from the trees to flash her a smile. "Yeah, I guess so."

A comfortable silence fell over them. The sounds of the night were lulling Akko to sleep. Her eyes drifted close.

In the back of her mind, she felt something snake its way into her hand as sleep pulled at her consciousness. It closed around hers, threading between her fingers.

A faint whisper drifted over to her. " _Goodnight Akko._ "

" _G'night Diana._ " She mumbled back, sleep finally taking her.

* * *

A/N: Well this chapter took a bit longer than expected lol. Hope you like it!


	4. What Happened with the Dragon (side ch)

Whatever Happened With The Dragon

Side chapter for mika

* * *

~Some months earlier~

"Nnnfff! Hurry up, this thing's heavy!" Akko grunted as she hefted up a thick iron gate. The black, rust-tinted prison bar-esque gate had spikes at the bottom that sunk into holes in the stone floor. Sweat dripped down Akko's brow as she struggled to keep the gate barely a foot off the ground.

Diana squeezed under the gate, pulling herself along the grimy floor between two surprisingly sharp spikes.

"I'm almost through," Diana said through gritted teeth. Her upper torso made it through the gate and she grabbed the bars, using them for leverage as she tried to get her hips through. The tips of the spikes digging into the sides of her thighs.

"Remind me again why-" Akko paused, re-adjusting her stance so she could lift the gate a few more centimeters, "why we can't magic this door open?"

With the extra room Diana wriggled the last of the way past the gate. Not wasting a moment, she got up from the ground and grabbed the bars under where Akko held them.

She nodded to Akko and flicked the hair out of her eyes, bracing herself for the full weight. "Go ahead, I got it."

"Thanks." Using her grip on the bars, Akko swung herself under, leaving Diana to hold the full brunt of the weight for only a few moments before she was all the way through.

The second Akko was safely through, Diana dropped the gate. It slammed down into the ground with a metallic crash, the noise reverberating against the cold, hard walls.

"The few texts written about this dungeon describe its magic resistant properties. So spells will have little to no effect, it's one of the reasons so few witches attempt to come here. It is theorized that the dragon residing here enchanted the dungeon to keep out thieves." Diana explained.

She unhooked a flashlight from her belt and flicked it on, illuminating the dark stone corridor.

"Still, there had to have been an easier way to do that. This is a lot of work for some scales. The things I do for you, I swear." Akko said, muttering the last part under her breath.

The corner of Diana's mouth twitched. "Please. As if you weren't the one who came to me, begging me to take you on these expeditions." She threw Akko a teasing smile.

"Hey! That was ages ago! You wouldn't have been able to do this trip without me! How would you have gotten through that gate on your own?" Akko cried indignantly.

"Hmm." Diana tapped her cheek exaggeratedly as she thought, "Perhaps I could have used a strengthening spell on myself to lift the gate up."

"Wha- WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME ABOUT THAT?!"

"It was only hypothetical, Akko." She said with a laugh, "I don't know to what extent the magic resistance goes. Or what other potential enchantments the dragon has enacted around his stronghold, if it is in fact the dragon that is the cause. I do wish to avoid using magic as much as possible while we are in here so that we do not have the misfortune of discovering some new defense."

"Humph. So you do need me!" Akko crossed her arms and turned away, trying and failing miserably to stay mad.

Diana giggled at Akko's reaction. "Yes, Akko. Your assistance is invaluable."

"No wonder you wanted to bring flashlights though. We usually just use our wands as a light." Akko remarked, unclasping her flashlight from her hook and looking it over. The cold metal felt unfamiliar compared to the usual warmth of her wand.

Akko switched her flashlight on, pointing it at one particularly menacing looking cobweb as they passed it.

"So the dragon we're looking for... why don't they live in a place like Fafnir's? He just lived in a dragon sized house! Computer monitors and all! That would have been easier to infiltrate than some abandoned dungeon. Cleaner too."

"This dragon is, how do I phrase this, more primitive." Diana responded.

"So this dragon is dumber?"

"Oh don't get me wrong. The dragon we are attempting to sneak up on is said to be very intelligent. It is theorized to have altered this structure to be resistant to magic after all. But the expenditure of vast quantities of magical energy cause the creature to become much more volatile and wild."

"Soooo, it's like Fafnir's big buff cousin?"

Diana chuckled. "I suppose you could say-"

CLICK

They froze. The noise put them on edge, causing Diana to stop mid-word. The stone Akko had just stepped on had sunk an inch into the floor.

Akko gulped, holding her breath as she tensed in preparation for a booby-trap. A few seconds crawled by agonizingly slowly as they waited for something to happen.

Akko glanced around cautiously. "Isn't something supposed to happen?" She whispered out of the corner of her mouth.

"There is a chance the mechanism no longer works." Diana responded, relaxing ever so slightly.

"Yeah, maybe…" Akko picked her foot up from the stone.

A mechanical whirring and clicking echoed from inside the walls. As if a conveyor belt was dropping things into sockets all around them.

Akko's eyes widened. "Nope!" She grabbed Diana's wrist without another thought and pulled her down the hall as she broke out into a sprint.

"A-Akko!"

"We gotta run!"

Not a second later, Diana felt an arrow shoot out behind her, tearing through the back of her shirt. A rush of wind followed in its wake, accompanied by a steadily increasing number of arrows shooting out from the walls in a rapid barrage.

Their boots pounded against the stone floor as they raced down the corridor, Akko gripping Diana's wrist with fierce determination, nearly dragging her along behind her to escape the deadly arrows licking at their heels.

As the initial shock finally passed, Diana whipped out her wand with her free hand and threw up a barrier around them.

For a brief moment, the reflective purple bubble gave her a sense of safety. But her peace of mind was shattered just as fast as the barrier was when the arrows pierced through her enchantment with the ease of popping a soap bubble.

A fork in the path quickly approached and a few agonizing moments passed before they veered down it. Akko was already 10 feet down the hall before she realized they had escaped the stip of bobby-trap ridden wall. The metallic tink of arrows hitting the stone died down as the barrage came to a stop behind them.

Akko skidded to a halt. "We made it." She said breathlessly.

Diana bent over, desperately trying to catch her breath after the sudden sprint for their lives. "You had impeccable foresight to anticipate the arrows would also be unaffected by magic." She paused to take a deep breath, "If I had only erected a protective barrier around us we would have had one foot in the bucket, as they say."

"Sometimes it feels like we aren't speaking the same language." Akko said through heavy breaths. "I wasn't thinking about the arrows ignoring magic, just that we had to get to safety."

"It's a euphemism, I think. And, of course you didn't." Diana said as she shook her head with a smile. Akko may not have acted on careful judgment, but her instincts had saved them. That was one thing Akko had the edge on over witches who grew up with magic, she was used to using physical or creative methods to overcome challenges instead of using magic as a crutch.

This common trait among witches was one of the reasons they struggled to handle dangerous situations. They were stuck in their traditional thinking that was ingrained in them at home and in their schooling. Akko's ability to come up with solutions without those shackles was one of the many traits Diana treasured about her friend.

Akko tried to lift a hand up to check for any cuts and realized both her hands were still preoccupied. "Oh, I guess I can give you back your arm now." She laughed awkwardly as she dropped Diana's wrist.

Diana was thankful for the dim light as she felt her cheeks warm. She straightened up to survey their condition. "I seem to have made it out with only minor scratches and tears in my clothing." She held up her arm to inspect her sleeve; a few holes littered the edges, reminding her just how close of a call it had been. "Are you injured anywhere, Akko?"

"My arm got nicked, but I'm fine." Akko used the back of her wrist to wipe the blood from her cut, only succeeding in making it smeared mess.

"Let me see." Diana grabbed Akko's arm to inspect it. "You most certainly are not fine! Hold still let me heal you."

Akko snatched her arm back defensively. "I thought you said we shouldn't use magic."

"Nonsense. You aren't magic resistant are you?" Diana put her hands on her hips.

"Ahahaha, I guess not. But what about using as little magic as possible?" Akko asked.

"I can't just leave you with an open wound. You could get an infection! Now stop squirming and let me heal you." Diana said, holding her hand out expectantly.

"Ok, ok! Jeez." Akko presented her arm to her demanding friend, only blushing slightly when Diana gently held her arm steady.

" **Leighae**."

The tip of Diana's wand lit and a bubbling green light gushed forth; as it flowed out towards Akko's arm it dissipated, evaporating into the air before reaching her open cut.

Akko scrunched her nose as she frowned. "Was that supposed to happen?"

"...no." Diana wracked her brain for what could have caused her magic to vanish into thin air. There were texts that described magic becoming impotent deeper within the dungeon, but nothing like this. "It appears our magic will not work this close to the heart of the dungeon."

"That's ok, look." Akko grabbed a section of her shirt that was torn from an arrow slicing through it and ripped it off. "I can cover it with this."

Diana sighed. "I suppose this will have to do for now." She took the strip and wrapped it around Akko's arm, tying it tight.

"Thanks, Diana!" She held her flashlight under her chin, illuminating her face. "It's time to find ourselves a spooky dragon." She wiggled her eyebrows up and down playfully, the light casting strange shadows across her face to match her silly voice.

Diana forgot the nagging feeling in the back of her mind as she laughed, stowing her wand in her belt.

"Oh look, there's a stairwell up ahead." Akko said, shining her light down the corridor.

"How fortuitous, perhaps this will lead to its stronghold."

They carefully made their way down the stairs, ever cognizant of potential traps. Placing each foot with care.

As they reached the bottom, the space in front of them opened up into a large cavern. The ground was littered with strange knickknacks and doo-dads, clumped in seemingly meaningless piles.

Atop the largest mound in the center lay an enormous black dragon, the width of its tail alone the height of Akko. It's scales had a dull shine to them and its head was tucked under a wing. The slow rise and fall of its chest the only indication it was alive.

"We found the dragon! But what _is_ all this junk?" She asked, nudging a particularly useless looking contraption.

"I'm not sure I can place how these items relate to each other. I know different species of dragons hoard different things, but I can't place what this may be." Diana pulled Akko back around a corner. "We need to be extra cautious while in here. There should be a few scales near the base of the beast that it has shed. Possibly among its 'treasures.' The faster we have collected them the better."

Akko nodded. "Fast and sneaky. My specialty."

Diana flashed her a small smile and the duo headed back into the main room, determined to complete their mission.

Akko trailed a few steps behind Diana, letting her friend find a route through all the mess of assorted 'treasures' so she could examine the more interesting pieces.

They picked their way through and between the many random items. Some Akko could pick out, a chessboard with half its pieces, a telescope with the lens cracked, a small rocking chair fit for a kid with chipped paint. But everything she saw seemed to be old and/or broken. Nothing like the pile of gold and jewels she was expecting.

Spotting something that caught her eye Akko giggled, poking the fluffy tummy of a particularly cute stuffed animal laying at the top of a pile to her right. She would have thought it was a yellow mouse if it weren't for it's long ears and jagged tail.

"Akko, look." Diana whispered.

The sleeping dragon was mere meters in front of and above them, resting atop a broken pile of junk. Up close Akko could see that each scale was larger than her hand.

Diana pointed at a wooden cabinet with cracked glass doors squashed under its claw. A few jagged pieces of scale, either shed or ripped off Akko didn't know, shone from inside it.

Akko nodded. "Let me climb up and grab them."

Diana bent down and laced her fingers together, bracing herself as Akko stepped into her hands and boosted her up.

Akko balanced her weight on the foot Diana held and reached up towards the broken glass of the cabinet door. "Almost, there." She hesitantly placed her other boot on a sideways bicycle tire poking out of the rubbage, hoping to lift herself up just a bit more.

With her fingers just centimeters away from a few shards of inky black scale she made a desperate jump, shoving up off of the tire and swiping at their target.

"Got em!" Akko whisper shouted.

Her victory was short lived as the tire spun out from under her. She swung her arms trying to regain her balance. Diana stumbled under the wildly flailing Akko, trying to steady them both. Unfortunately for her they were in the middle of the treasure room (junk yard) and everything was so densely packed together there wasn't much wiggle room.

"A-Akko!" Diana's foot caught on a coiled up jump rope and the pair fell down with a crash. A stack of old letters and pictures toppled over on top of them, partially burying them.

"Diana are you ok?!" Akko lifted herself up and tried to extract herself from the tangled limbs and random junk surrounding her.

"Akko, do not move!" Diana hissed out in fear, unable to see anything past Akko and the debris.

Akko froze, her eyes widening in horror as she suddenly remembered why they had been trying to be quiet. Slowly, with dread filling her, she turned her head to stare at the huge creature behind them.

The dragon hadn't moved, continuing to rest peacefully. A small cloud of smoke billowed out from under its wing.

Akko slumped down onto Diana, the sudden tension of those few moments having drained her. "We're good. It didn't wake up."

Diana let out a shuddering breath of relief. "Thank goodness."

"Oh Diana look." Akko sat up, shoving the miscellaneous papers off of her as she moved to the side. "Ta-da!" She held out her fist for Diana to see. Clenched tight in her grip were 3 shards of black dragon scale, each nearly twice the length of her fist and as wide as her proud smile.

"You did it!" Diana exclaimed, her eyes lighting up in excitement.

"Heck yeah I did!"

"Good job, Akko. Now let's get out of here!" Diana took the scales from Akko and stowed them in her pack.

Brushing themselves off, the witches stood up. Diana carefully bushed a chair out of the way and began to pick her way through the chaos towards the entrance.

"Hey, what's this?" Akko paused, stooping down to pick up one of the worn pictures they had knocked over. Two young girls, arm in arm, smiled up at her. They had witches robes on and one had short fiery red hair while the other had long, shaggy lilac hair.

"Diana, I think this is Professor Ursula and Professor Croix as kids. Why would this be here?"

Diana turned, looking back at Akko staring inquisitively at the picture in her hand. Behind Akko the dragon's head had emerged from behind its wing. Two bright, red and yellow splattered eyes stared the brunette.

"Akko!" Diana rushed back, jumping over a chair and snatched the picture from Akko's hand. Without missing a beat she threw the photo like a frisbee as far away from them as she could.

Recovering from the shock Akko whipped around. The enormous dragon was stretching its wings, spreading out and waking up, its gaze now trained on Diana.

"We have to run!"

Before either of them can take a single step the dragon lunged for Diana. Its razor sharp teeth exposed and zeroing in on her.

Diana whipped out her wand, throwing up a protective shield to cover them instinctively, the purple bubble surrounding them faster than the blink of an eye.

Just as its sharp teeth hit the barrier Akko shoved Diana out of the way, her shoulder colliding with Diana painfully. Momentary shock and confusion consumed Diana as she was thrown from the protective bubble.

Time slowed as she watched in horror as the dragon's teeth were halted by thetshield for a mere fraction of a second before breaking through it. The color faded from bubble and it dissipated into a cloud, absorbing right into the dragon's body. The long, dagger like teeth sunk into Akko's shoulder and side.

A blood-curdling scream ripped its way out of Akko's throat as the searing pain racked through her body.

"AKKO! **Murowa!** "

Diana shot at a towering pile of junk in front of her, toppling it down onto the dragon's extended neck. The beast dropped Akko and let out a deafening howl as an avalanche of falling treasures bombarded it.

Not wasting another second Diana grabbed Akko as her crumpled body sunk to the floor. Akko's face was twisted in pain, a look Diana had never seen or wished to see again, and her eyes were screwed shut. Her consciousness barely holding on through the agony of the bite.

Diana shoved her hand into the pack, yanking out her shrunken broom. It grew in size in her hand and she jumped onto it, cradling a barely conscious Akko in her arms. Blood soaked through Akko's clothes, dripping onto the floor and covering Diana. It was so warm, flowing out of Akko with ease. She had to get her out of here. Before she lost any more blood.

Behind them the dragon roared, ripping its head out from under the fallen debris. Its muscles tensed, rippling under its scales as it prepared to lunge again.

" **Diphulaniado!** "

Diana sent an explosive blast at the dragon's feet. Sending objects flying, the heat of the blast washing over her like a tidal wave.

The black dragon howled in rage, fiery debris of its treasures raining down around them. The blast wasn't as intense as it should have been, the magic in the air absorbing into the dragon shortly after exploding.

" **Tia Freyre!** " Diana shouted, kicking off the ground and propelling them into the air. She shot forward, grasping onto Akko as she prayed her friend would make it.

The dragon glowed with a tinge of red as it sucked in the magic, growing even larger. It spread its wings, the thunderous beating sending more of its treasures flying.

Diana raced through the treasure room, weaving in and out of the rubble. She was so close to the stairwell. They could make it. They _had_ to make it.

Behind her the dragon gained speed, its still growing wings thrusting it forward with increasing speed.

She swerved out of the way just in time as it slammed into the wall in front of her, unable to it's control speed. Stone wall fell down around them, crashing over the dragon's body.

A crack splintered up the wall to the ceiling. A ray of light poked through the crack, giving Diana an idea.

" **Murowa!** "

Diana shot the dragon with a blast, letting the magic soak into it.

The dragon glowed red as it grew. It flapped its wings, struggling to extract itself from the crumbling wall. Throwing its head back in a cry the dragon knocked out a chunk of the ceiling.

Diana raced through the opening, the bright light of the afternoon sun nearly blinding her. She heard the dragon roar behind her, busting through the walls to chase after her. But she didn't look back. She clutched onto Akko tighter and pressed forward, willing her broom to go faster than it ever had before. The roars of the dragon growing distant behind her.

* * *

Akko lay asleep in bed at the Cavendish Manor, bandages wrapped around her shoulder and abdomen. Diana sat by her side, staring intently at her friend.

"You've done all you can, My Lady. She just needs rest now." Anna said, she squeezed Diana's shoulder reassuringly.

"Thank you Anna, I think I'll stay here for now however."

Anna nodded and left the room, closing the door with a soft click behind her.

Diana brushed Akko's bangs out of her face. "The dragon… it was absorbing the magic from the air around it. I was a fool, Akko. I am so, so sorry. I let this happen due to my naivety."

Diana sighed. She wished Akko would wake up, that she could see her smile once again. But she knew she needed to recover.

"You saved me." She whispered.

A hesitant knock at the door interrupted her thoughts.

"Diana, I need to have a word with you." Daryl said as she opened the door.

Diana didn't even turn to look at her aunt, keeping her gaze on Akko. "Now is not a good time, Aunt Daryl. Can this wait?"

Daryl wrung her hands. "I've put off telling you this for far too long, Diana. You should come with me now."

Diana turned to study her aunt, noting her barely concealed worry. "Alright."

She stood, pausing to look over Akko's sleeping form again. Diana bent down, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead, before slipping out the door to follow her aunt.


	5. Chapter 5

A greyish light washed over their little campsite, the sun having not quite risen above the mountains.

Amanda let out a groan, unpeeling her face from where it had become stuck to the forest floor during the night. Her hair stuck out in all different directions, more chaotic than usual. Rubbing dirt off her cheek, she sat up and tried to get her bearings.

Just beside her Maliae peacefully slept on her side. Moss had grown around and under her as a cushion, the forest naturally bending to her subconscious.

Amanda glanced to her other side, frowning when she didn't see Akko sprawled out. With a grunt, she heaved herself up off the ground, stretching out her stiff muscles as she did.

"Akko, please." Came a muffled voice from behind her.

Over on Diana's side of the campfire Akko was sprawled out haphazardly, one leg laying across a disgruntled Diana's lap. Her sleeping bag was unzipped and spread around her.

Amanda stared for a moment at the scene in front of her. Akko sleeping next to Diana. Akko with a leg over Diana Cavendish's lap. What was she doing there? _What had they been up to?_

After a moment, the scene in front of Amanda finally penetrated her sleepy brain, and a shit eating grin spread across her face. The likelihood that anything other than sleepy cuddling had happened was slim to none, but that didn't mean Amanda couldn't have some fun at the uptight witch's expense.

"When I agreed to come on this trip I expected you two to get up to _something._ I just didn't think it would happen on the _first night_."

"Wha-?!" Diana's head shot up, finally realizing she had an audience to her struggles.

"Couldn't hold back any longer princess?" Amanda's smirk broke as she couldn't keep the laughter at bay any longer. She doubled over, clutching at her stomach as she laughed. "And after you were just telling me to keep it in my pants."

"We were doing nothing of the sort!" Diana exclaimed, heat rising to her cheeks as she desperately tried untangled herself from Akko.

All the commotion roused Maliae. The Dryad sat up and stretched, brushing a few locks of hair from her face and taking in the scene as Diana continued her struggles.

"So you say." Amanda snorted. "Who knows what you get up to when we aren't here!"

"Oh my!" Maliae gasped, covering her mouth as if scandalized. She hid her amused smile behind her hand as she did.

Finally extracting herself from Akko's tangled limbs Diana stood, looking more disheveled than Amanda had ever seen the heiress.

"Akko nearly fell prey to a Will-o-the-Wisp last night, I needed to make sure she stayed close to me so she wasn't lured away again."

Amanda smirked, her laughter calming down to a mild chuckle. "If I knew a Will-o-the-Wisp was all it took to get in your bed I would have gotten myself lured away too!"

"WHA- she was not! I-! You-! Humph!" Completely flustered and at a loss for words Diana turned on her heel and stomped over to where the supply bags sat, rifling through them for what Amanda could only assume was breakfast.

"You are certainly an interesting group of witches." Maliae giggled softly.

Amanda threw her a wide grin. "It's not a trip with Akko, Diana and yours truly if you can't get in some good old fashioned teasing over their relationship."

Maliae's eyes glinted as her interest was piqued. "And what would you say their relationship is exactly?"

Amanda crossed her arms over her head, leaning back on her heels as she thought. "Hmm, they're either secretly boning or complete idiots." She nodded to herself.

"I see." The Dryad chuckled quietly.

"Guh. Where am I?" Groaned a bleary-eyed Akko. She rolled over and pushed herself up, sitting with her legs tucked under her as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"You're in the middle of the woods with your best friend, a hot dryad and your girlfriend." Amanda responded helpfully.

"Oh right. On a trip with Diana…" Akko blinked. "Wait _girlfriend_?! You're not my girlfriend Amanda!" Akko jumped up, glaring at Amanda indignantly.

"What? No I- **Diana**. I was referring to Diana. Ugh whatever you numbskull."

Diana flicked her wand and the sleeping bags flew back to her and rolled themselves up, the rest of their things soon following. "Grab your bags you two, we can eat on the walk."

Diana handed Amanda a bagel and rolled her eyes with a sigh, obviously not over the little teasing from earlier.

Walking over to Akko she handed her a muffin, giving her a small smile. "Here, Akko."

"Thanks Diana!" Akko gave her an all too bright smile and stuffed her mouth.

"I'm glad to see that the events of last night have left you unphased."

Diana offered Maliae a bagel but the Dryad shook her head. "I'm quite alright, thank you. I'll pick some berries as we walk."

"Alright girls, let's be on our way." The group grabbed their bags and followed Diana out of the protective bubble that was their campsite.

Diana paused. "Maliae, since you claim to know where the cave entrance is, why don't you lead the way?"

"I'd be happy to." Maliae responded. "Although I haven't seen my friend, Tokei, since the resurgence of magic. Before the other creatures and I went dormant, we would meet at the base of the mountain and share information and trade goods."

"Wait so you don't actually know where the caves are?" Amanda asked.

"I've seen the direction she comes from and know it was never a long walk to outside the cave, they didn't venture far after all."

"That's better than nothing!" Akko said, cheerily.

* * *

The air rustled around them, the wind much calmer at the base of the mountain than it had been when they were flying above the treeline. The party made their way up the steep incline of the mountain face, with Maliae leading the way. Diana was in second, followed by Akko and then Amanda in the rear.

Maliae paused by the side of an outcrop, peering into one of the many crevices. "It should be around here somewhere."

Akko glanced around excitedly. "Let's split up and look around!"

"No. We should stick-" Diana started.

Amanda pushed her way to the front. "Good idea Akko! Whoever finds it wins! And the loser has to say the other is the best witch around!"

"Oh it's on!" Akko yelled, giving Amanda a determined glare.

Not wanting to give the other a seconds head start, the two whipped around and sprinted off in different directions.

Maliae giggled lightly at her companions' antics, her laugh sounding like a windchime blowing in the mountain breeze. "Witches now are so much more energetic than the last time I encountered some of your kind."

Diana let out a sigh, her strict posture slumping slightly. As if, out of sight from a certain witch she had trouble maintaining her confident aura.

Maliae studied the serious witch. The emotions she could feel floating around her were nothing like those of the other two witches. It was a heavier aura, laced with responsibility and longing.

Diana stared after Akko, watching the witch struggle to roll mid-sized rocked over to look under. "Witches now are certainly special".

* * *

"Diana! Hey Diana! I found it!" Akko came running up, waving her hand, out of breath and face flushed from a mix of excitement and exertion.

From somewhere among the rocks, Amanda groaned. "Aww man."

Akko skidded to a halt in front of Diana and Maliae, pausing to catch her breath and giving Amanda the chance to make her way back to the group.

Amanda ran a hand through her hair as she walked up to her party members. "Well, a deal's a deal, Akko." She took a deep breath, groaning slightly as she breathed out. "Akko's the best witch, or whatever." she mumbled.

Akko smiled mischievously. "What was that? I couldn't hear you."

"UGH ALRIGHT! AKKO'S THE BEST WITCH AROUND! HAPPY?!"

Akko beamed, her chest puffing up with smug pride. "Yup!"

As Diana watched Akko's glowing smile, its infectious aura snuck its way into her heart, wrapping and coiling around her. Filling her to the brim with a feeling she had been determined to cast aside. Her heart defiantly betraying her mind as it longed for more, the craving only growing stronger.

She shook her head, cutting herself away from its warm embrace before it could take hold any more than it had. "Alright Akko, why don't you show us where you found it."

"Okay!"

The girls followed Akko up a steep pass hidden behind a large boulder, the path significantly narrower and more treacherous than their original. The wind had picked up considerably from the light breeze it was when they started.

The group was much higher than they had thought, the forest floor nearly 100 feet below them. One misstep and they could plummet down the mountain side.

Maliae gulped, pointedly not looking down as they carefully picked their way over rocks and roots along the edge. She subtly grabbed onto the fabric of Amanda's shirt to steady herself. This may not have been far from her home, but the terrain was already so vastly different.

Coming to the end of the path Akko crouched down, craning her neck to get a glimpse of a ledge a few feet down to their right. "The entrance is right down there. I'm pretty sure I can jump it, but…" She glanced back at Diana. "I'm not sure if you or Maliae can make it."

Maliae gulped, gripping the fabric of Amanda's shirt tighter. Falling to her death was not something she had planned on when she decided to join the entertaining group.

Diana raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?" She stepped forward, drawing her wand. "You do remember you are a witch, do you not?"

"Geh." Akko averted her eyes bashfully. "Oh yeah…"

Amanda snorted, throwing Maliae a glance as if to say 'can you believe this girl?'.

Maliae gave her a shaky smile back, still unsure how they were going to make it down safely.

Diana cleared her throat. " **Exstructos**!"

The rock wall shot out in horizontal pillars in front of them, quickly forming a mountain staircase leading down to the cave entrance.

The sudden formation shook the ground around them, eliciting a sharp gasp from Maliae as she gripped Amanda's arm with an iron grasp to steady herself.

Diana stepped down onto the first pillar. "Come along, girls."

Maliae, with some coaxing, followed Diana and the others down to the entrance of the cave. She pressed her body as close to the mountain side as she could, the wind growing stronger the more exposed they became, whipping her hair around.

The group reached the bottom and crowded around the cave entrance. The cave stood a few feet taller than the girls and overlooked a sharp drop-off.

Maliae hesitantly peeked over the ledge, "This doesn't really seem like how Tokei described the entrance…"

Akko scratched her head. "Are you sure? I couldn't find any other caves like you described. You did say you haven't talked to her since you went dormant."

"There is a chance the entrance has changed in that time. We will need to be careful of other potential changes." Diana said thoughtfully.

"I suppose that's true." Maliae conceded. She looked around uncertainty, the land couldn't have changed _that_ much in a few hundred years, could it?

Amanda peered into the dark expanse of the cave before them. A shiver ran down her spine. "Hey, is anyone else getting an ominous vibe from this place?"

"Well the trolls of this mountain have always been relatively harmless. I never had much trouble with them. If this really is their cave they should be no problem for such powerful witches." Maliae replied, partially to convince herself.

A rustling flap of wings caught their attention. A large black raven landed on a dead scraggly tree branch sticking out between a crack above them. Its glossy feathers glinted purple in the light of the rising sun.

"Hello there." Diana took a step closer. "Can you tell us if there is a path to the top of the mountain?" She tapped her chin. "Or perhaps, if there are any beasts we should avoid on the mountain side?'

The large raptor tilted its head, blinking slowly at the group.

The girls glanced at each other uncertainty. Diana was an expert in many animal languages, and crows were the signature witch companion, there was no way it didn't understand her.

Diana frowned, and turned away from the bird. "...Alright…"

"How did he even get up here? Isn't the wind too strong?" Akko tilted her head as she stared at the raven. Its black eyes unblinking as they bore into her. She shivered and turned away, something about its demeanor was unsettling.

"That _is_ a good question."

Amanda squinted at the shadowy cavern, trying to pry it's secrets out with her scrutinizing. "Hmph. Well..." Her gaze eased up and she rolled up her sleeves. "Guess this is our best bet."

Diana and Akko shared a look. They had been through plenty of adventures. Even if there was something strange about the situation they knew it was their best bet at reaching the top. Besides, they had escaped worse things together than a creepy cave.

Akko gave Diana a half smile and shrugged. "Shall we go?"

* * *

The tunnel was so wide the four could walk side by side. Stalactites jutted down from the ceiling, the occasional drop of water splattering into shallow pools around them.

Akko reached out a hand and ran it along the cavern wall. Her fingers brushed up against a cold slimy mucus. "Oh bluh! Gross!" She hastily retracted her hand, wiping her fingers off on the front of her shirt.

They soon left the light from outside behind them, and were swallowed up by the pitch black expanse. The three witches illuminated their wands, the greenish hue only reaching out a few feet in front of them.

Maliae shuddered slightly, there was nothing but cold hard rock at her feet. Even outside on the mountain small weeds and shrubs had been able to force their way through the cracks. But in here. She could feel no life. Was this what the world had to offer? If so, she'd gladly stay in her forest forever.

The flickering green light from their wands did little to help them tell how long they had been walking. Only the growing dread of what they might discover at the end of this massive slimy tunnel.

Diana was about to call for a break when the cave opened up to a massive chamber, the light emanating from their wands spilling out into the cavern.

A small lake filled the middle of the cave, and numerous side tunnels of various sizes littering the walls around them. Some of the tunnels began at ground level, while others opened up far above them, precarious ledges leading up to a few.

The group stopped, taken aback by the sudden change in their surroundings.

"Huh." Amanda leaned back on her heels, gazing up at the darkness above them, ceiling nowhere in sight. "Well, now what do we do?"

"Yeah uh, how do we know which one to take?" Akko asked uncertainty.

Maliae bent down and ran her hand along the ground. "If only there was a root system, I would be able to feel the path it followed. But I'm not able to feel any sign of life for quite a ways. As if something about this place is blocking any growth."

Akko scratched her cheek. "Well I haven't seen anything alive in here at all, unless you count slimy goop."

"No, I definitely do _not_ count slimy goop." Maliae said, repulsed at the very thought.

Amanda snickered, watching Maliae throw a disgusted look toward Akko. "Well, we could just pick a random one and hope for the best?"

"No," Diana stepped forward, "blindly picking a path would be a waste of time, not to mention we could get lost. I'll send out a beacon light that should lead us to a path to the top." She paused, frowning slightly. "But, it could also alert any creatures residing here of our presence."

"Eh, a few tiny trolls are no match for me." Amanda said shrugging.

"There could be more than just trolls in these caves." Diana readied her wand. "Stay on your guard everyone."

" **Gaoth Aotrom**!"

A wind swirled up around her from the ground up, engulfing her before flying off to the middle of the lake. It condensed into a ball of wind, and began to glow yellow, growing brighter as the air spun faster and tighter. Once it was about the size of her head it stopped shrinking, casting a bright yellow light out across the surface of the water.

"You gotta teach me that for my next show." Akko said, gawking at the floating light.

The party watched the glowing ball of wind hover for a moment before floating up and towards a cluster of smaller caves on the other side of the lake.

"Alright! Looks like it knows the way to go! Nice going Cavendish." Amanda said triumphantly.

As they celebrated their mini victory something shifted in the darkness across the lake and far above them. A menacing aura radiated towards them, and the air suddenly felt cold.

Akko felt a shiver run down her spine. She rubbed her arm and glanced around uncertainty. "Hey… does anyone else get the feeling we aren't alone anymore?"

Amanda cocked her head "Huh? I don't -"

A blood curdling screech drowned out the rest, slicing its way through the air around them. The girls doubled over in agony and cried out, clutching their ears.

A massive beast hurdled towards them at an alarming speed.

With scarcely any time to recover they threw themselves to each side, giant claws snapping close, clutching at the now empty space they had occupied.

Akko scrambled to her feet, recovering first. A monstrous creature loomed over them, cutting them off from the exit and each other. It beat its leathery wings as it regained its balance, powerful blasts of wind surging over them.

Just behind the beast Akko could see Diana helping Maliae up. Confident that Diana wasn't hurt she turned her eyes on the monster in front of her.

The creature was some kind of giant grotesque bat. From what Akko could tell its wings were each bigger than her old dorm back at Luna Nova. The monster's glowing red eyes were filled with rage; Akko could only guess at the horrific thoughts running through it's mind at the sight of 4 healthy young morsels walking right into its lair. Slimy spit dripped out of its mouth and down its sharp fangs as if its insatiable hunger couldn't be contained by a mere mouth, spilling over the edge.

Even though the strong wind from the beast's beating wings kicked up dust and clouded the air, Akko could make out the 3 giant claws on each foot, claws that looked large and sharp enough to leave a deep gash in even the strongest of creatures.

The beast regarded her for a second before it seemed to make up its mind, turning its attention on Diana and Maliae. Diana struggled to pull Maliae by the arm behind her so she could cast a barrier shield.

"HEY LOOK AT ME YOU UGLY MONSTER!" Akko yelled without a second thought.

Its ears twitched and it cocked its grotesque head, caught off guard by the sudden noise.

"THAT'S RIGHT YOU SLIMY BASTARD! I'M TALKING TO YOU!"

She heard a scandalized " _Language!_ " come from Diana, but didn't have time to reply as the bat swooped down towards her and Amanda.

Before she registered what she was doing, she had turned and was sprinting along the side of the lake, Amanda right on her heels.

The vicious red glow of the bat's eyes burned so bright they could see the light growing closer to them as they ran.

"What is that thing?!" Amanda gasped as they ran.

"No idea! But it sure doesn't want to be our friend!" Akko yelled back.

Her heart pounded in her throat as she ran up one of the slopes that surrounded the lake. Her feet dug into the ground, kicking up gravel and dirt as she ran.

"AKKO!" Diana cried out, the fear and anguish in her voice echoing off the walls around them, reverberating in Akko's chest.

Akko glanced back, just in time to see giant claws heading right for her.

" **Metamorphie Faciesse!** "

A colorful blast shot out of her wand, engulfing her in an instant. Erupting from the puff of smoke a hawk flew up and narrowly avoided the incoming attack as it crashed into the side of the cave, sharp claws sinking deep into the earth.

" **Vega Walras** " Amanda yelled as she ran.

Without losing any momentum Amanda jumped and spun in an arc over the beast as it struggled to pull it's claws free from the ground. At the peak she straightened out, the heel of her foot aimed right at the bat's snarling face, smashing into it with the force to ram its head against the wall, despite it's thick neck muscles resisting the force of the blow. Rocks flew in all directions as the monster's head slammed into the rock wall.

Amanda jumped back, landing lightly on her feet.

"Nice one Amanda!" Hawk Akko called to her as she soared above.

Diana and Maliae ran up a respective slope to a ledge as Akko and Amanda drew the giant bat away from them. From there Diana had a good vantage point to support her friends fighting up close. The "fighters and tanks" as Akko liked to refer to them as.

"Is there anything we can do?" Maliae asked frantically, watching the two girls narrowly escaping the bat's clutches.

"As soon as Akko and Amanda are a safe distance away from the creature I will be able to hit it with a heat spell to give them some time to recover. However, from this distance, accuracy and the potential to strike one of them are my primary concerns." Diana's eyes tracked Akko and Amanda's movements intently, waiting for an opportunity.

"I never thought there would be a Fluiúan here." Maliea whispered, more to herself than Diana. "They had been driven out when I was last awake."

"It seems as though things are quite dissimilar to what you remember." Diana said, adjusting her stance as she readied herself to cast.

Maliae knelt down and put her hands on the dirt. If she could just find a plant, _any plant_ , she would be able to help too. She probed the ground with her consciousness, expanding the search farther and farther as she found nothing.

" **Murowa!** " Diana yelled as soon as she saw Amanda jump out of the way.

A bolt of light streaked out and collided with the beast. The blast of hot air hit Akko and Amanda, knocking them both back slightly. Amanda staggered back, catching herself before she could fall off the ledge.

Spinning in the air, Hawk Akko reoriented herself and flew to the other side of the monster, just as it ripped it's claws from the ground with a snarl.

" **Metamorphie Faciesse!** "

Just before landing Akko burst through a puff of smoke as a kangaroo, landing on the tips of her massive feet.

Disoriented from having its head bashed into the wall, the bat wheeled around, snarling and baring its fangs. The strong odor of decay coming from its breath nearly crippling the girl's senses for a moment as it hit them.

"Now Amanda!" Kangaroo Akko choked out, covering her nose.

Pivoting on her right foot Amanda spun and slammed the back of her heel into the beast's head, knocking it towards Akko.

Rearing back on her massive tail, Kangaroo Akko kicked hard, meeting the beast's marred face as it flew towards her.

The giant bat was sent flying towards the middle of the lake, spinning and toppling over itself as it fell through the air.

With bated breath, Diana watched for another chance to get in a strike that wouldn't hurt her friends. As the beast fell she unleashed another blast of magical energy. It carved through the air, streaking towards the flailing monster.

Just as the spell was about to collide with the beast, it pulled its wings in tight, diving towards the water.

The spell exploded in the air where the creature had been just moments before.

Just before it hit the water, the beast spread its wings, catching the air and soar up into the inky abiss above.

The girls barely had a chance to catch their breath before another ear shattering screech ripped through the air, incapacitating them as they covered their ears desperately. The pain didn't last long, but the terror that shred and slashed its way to their hearts left them gasping for breath.

The oppressing aura of hatred and rage filled the cavern, prickling against their skin. It seemed they had only managed to enrage the creature.

Shaking off the feeling that wrapping around her, Akko transformed back into a human. "I have a plan! Just like the Ogre, Diana!"

Without waiting to hear Diana's confirmation she ran to the edge of the ledge, sliding down the wall towards a path lower down that led to a cave smaller than her fist.

Hearing her call, the bat beat its massive wings as it flew towards her. With its claws extended it swooped low, hell bent on snatching her up and slashing right through her soft flesh.

" **Metamorphie Faciesse!** " She cried. Transforming into a mouse and slipping right between the deadly, yellowed claws. She dove into the crack of a cave, barely small enough to make it through the entrance before it widened out.

" **Murowa!** " Diana cried, this time not aiming at the beast itself, but at the jagged rocks jutting out above its head.

The blast of magic ripped through the side of the cave, shaking the girls to their core as they gripped the wall for support and watched as giant rocks raining down on the beast.

Shrapnel from the exploded wall shred through the beast's wings. Thick blood droplets splattered against the dirt.

A large boulder crashed into the monsters head, dragging the flailing beast down with it as it fell towards the water.

Closest to the blast, the narrow passage around Mouse Akko began collapsing in, the entrance now sealed shut. She scampered as quickly as she could down the narrow and winding tunnel, rubble and falling rocks crashing down around her.

The ground beneath her cracked and split open. She dove forward, desperately trying to run up the rocks faster than they could fall. In her desperation her foot slipped and she slammed her head against a rock, losing consciousness and falling into the crack beneath her.

The bat let out a hideous howl as the mountain of rocks overpowered it, a gurgling silence replacing its cry as it plunged into the water, weighed down by the continued fall of rock after rock.

Amanda, Diana and Maliae watched with bated breath as they waited for the dust in the air to clear, a few rocks still slipping into the water.

"Is it dead?" Amanda called out, not waiting for a clear view.

Maliae reached out with her consciousness towards the lake. Concentrating on any presence she could feel. A faint crackley feeling brushed up against her senses. That of a dying plant, clinging to life, reached out to her for help.

The dust settled and the girls could clearly see the damage the cave in had caused. A mound of rocks piled up in the lake, peeking out from the water.

Amanda trotted down the slope towards the water's edge.

Maliae focused harder on the lake, something was growing stronger. "Wait, I don't think- "

The pile of rocks rumbled and quaked, toppling over each other as the monster broke through to the surface. The brute force of the last push sending rocks flying. Blood dripped from the monster's misshapen face. The rips and tears in its wings did nothing to prevent it from lifting into the air as it pumped it's massive wings.

"Ack!" Amanda dove out of the way as one of the rocks sent flying hurtled towards her. It crashed to her left and shattered, a few smaller pieces hitting her.

" **Murowa!** " Diana shot another blast at the enraged beast.

The bat whipped its head around toward Diana and Maliea. Slobber spewed out of its mouth as it snarled at the girls. With one powerful thrust it took off at the pair, flying right at the bolt of magic Diana had sent.

The spell exploded around the bat, light erupting all around it. Through the explosion of light the ugly, misshapen head of the beast emerged. It no longer cared about an easy meal, it was out for blood even if it had to sacrifice its body to get it.

Diana staggered back as she hastily threw up a shield. The sight of the bloody and mangled monster hurtling toward them with such destructive determination terrified her to her core. After all her hard work, was this where it ended?

Her heart pounded out of her chest, she could barely hear Amanda scream, everything was muffled. Why wasn't it Akko screaming? Was Akko ok? She blinked, everything seemed to be moving so slowly. The bat was only a few yards in front of her. It was diving head first, mouth wide open and fangs bared, not showing any signs of slowing down. If it was unphased by her attacks, it wasn't likely the barrier would hold it back.

Her chest ached with it's locked away secrets, selfishly begging to release them. At the sight of such horrifying bloodlust, they became too much to bare. If she made it out of this -

" **Eri a beri nin!** "

Maliae stood in front of her, as sturdy and determined as an Oak. Her arms were outstretched and she glowed a blindingly bright green. The scent of spring washed over Diana, newly sprouted trees, fresh soil.

Brown seaweed erupted out of the water. It intercepted the great beast and wrapping around its body. The kelp squeezed tighter and tighter. The bat was frozen in the air mere feet away from them.

The monster writhed and fought against the immobilizing hold. It took a huge breath, preparing to screech.

" **Faug!** " Maliae cried.

The seaweed twisted and turned, wrapping around the bat's neck and mouth. Maliae closed her fists tight and the cords clamped down harder, strangling the mighty creature, digging into its flesh.

Seizing the chance, Diana pointed her wand at the pile of rocks that had fallen into the water. With a flick of her wrist they flew at the bat, pummeling the beast. The mass of rocks surrounded it, trapping it in a rock prison.

Maliae dropped her arms with a gasp and fell to her knees. The tangle of rocks and seaweed fell into the lake, dragging the bat along with it. It hit the water with a huge splash.

Looking over the edge Diana could see a dark red color tainting the water, spreading out from between the rocks. It was over. They did it.

"Diana. Diana! Are you ok?" A hand shook her shoulder. "I can't believe you did that Maliae! That was incredible! You both were!"

Diana blinked, trying to clear her blurry eyesight. She touched her cheek and felt a slight dampness. She was alive. They were alive. Relief washed over her and all the tension holding her up left her all at once. She sunk to the floor next to Maliae.

"You saved us" Diana breathed. She laughed slightly and shook her head in disbelief.

"I didn't notice the Creepvine at first since they were nearly dead."

"Well it's a good thing you did!" Amanda said, she reached her hands out for Diana and Maliea to take. The girls each grabbed a hand and she pulled them up.

Diana looked behind Amanda. "Where's Akko?"

"I don't know. I lost her when she turned into Rat-kko while the rocks were falling on us."

"WHAT?! Why didn't you look for her?! She could be hurt!" Diana's voice cracked and pushed past Amanda frantically, running down the slope.

"There was a lot going on!" Amanda cried. Amanda and Maliae quickly followed her.

Diana ran across the cavern to where the original cave in had been. "Akko! Akko are you there?" She pushed a rock out of the way. She struggled against another before whipping her wand out. Her hand shook as she pointed it at the rocks.

"Diana calm down! You shouldn't use magic yet!" Amanda grabbed Diana's arm. "You haven't regained your strength. Collapsing from excessive magic use won't help Akko."

"I have to find Akko." Diana said weakly. She shivered, the fear and exhaustion racking through her body.

"Let me search for her presence. I can feel the life force of others more clearly if I concentrate." Maliae stepped next to Diana, using a soothing voice to try and calm the frantic witch.

Maliae cleared her throat and put her hands against the rocks. She closed her eyes and began glowing a faint green. She frowned, there wasn't anything under the rocks, dead or alive. She spread her consciousness farther, searching the nearby tunnels.

"I feel her! It's faint but she's alive."

"Thank Jennifer." Diana gasped. "Is she hurt? Where is she?"

"I don't sense any major disturbances in her aura. I believe she's just unconscious." Maliae opened her eyes. "Her aura is coming from a tunnel below us. Wait a moment, she's moving?!"

"What?!" Diana readied her wand. "Move out of the way."

"Wait Diana! You're too weak!" Amanda flung her arm in front of Diana. "If you use up any more magic before you recover you'll pass out."

"Then you do it! Akko is in trouble, none of this will matter if I let something happen to her." She cried, nearly choking out the words.

"Wait! There is another life force with her! It doesn't seem malicious. It must be one of the trolls!" Maliae said, her hands still firmly against the rocks concentrating on the auras.

"Is it your friend Tokei?" Amanda asked.

Maliae shook her head. "No I know her signature. But it is similar enough that they must be apart of her clan."

Amanda turned back to Diana. "Diana, she'll be ok. It's Akko. We've both known her to get out of worse situations. Just breath for a second."

Diana paused for a moment before nodding slightly and taking a deep breath, letting it out slowly. She looked at Amanda, finally noting how exhausted and beat up the other girl was. There was a cut across her cheek and dried blood speckled her skin and clothes.

"You're right, I'm sorry. I let my emotions get the better of me." She took another deep breath to steady herself. "Maliae do you think you could lead us to Akko? I do not have the strength to cast another seaking light yet."

"Diana you look like I could blow you over. And I'm sure Maliae could use a break, I know I could. Rat-kko will be fine for a few more minutes. We need a breather."

Diana hesitated. Amanda was right, with her panic gone she could feel the fatigue seeping into her bones. "I suppose a few minutes couldn't hurt. And stop changing her name. She goes by Akko, not Rat-kko. Furthermore, she transformed into a mouse, not a rat."

Amanda flopped down and leaned against one of the rocks. "Yeah, yeah. The only change to her name you'll accept is Akko Cavendish."

" _Amanda!_ "

* * *

Deeper in the caves a stout magical being hummed a cheery tune. It twirled a wand in one hand and dragged a small mouse like creature by the tail behind it. Oh what a lucky day today was it thought.

* * *

A/N:

Well, life got in the way again. But I had a lot of fun writing this fight scene! I'm hoping to finish up the next chapter by next week. Fingers crossed haha.

The bat was based off of a cryptid, Olitiau, that described a giant bat like creature. And Maliae was speaking Sindarin, which is one of Tolkien's elvish languages.


	6. Chapter 6

Akko groaned and tried to sit up. The fierce pounding in her head demanding her attention. She hadn't felt this bad since she decided to go on a bender with Amanda, Jasminka and Constanze after graduation. She knew better than to try and out drink Jasminka... now. Although, after that disaster she at least hadn't woken up with her face in the dirt.

"You woke up." A voice grunted. "What strange mouse doing with wand?"

Akko jumped and hit her head on something hard with a crack. She swiveled around towards the voice, rubbing her sore head and blinking away the stars popping up in her vision. In front of her were the metal bars of what she could only assume was a cage. Just on the other side was a small, cluttered underground room. A troll stood beside a workbench that was covered with lumps of clay and peculiar looking tools. The troll had broad, hunched shoulders, with patchy tufts of fur. It had a curved, oversized piece of bark strapped to one of its forearms and a brown patchwork garment slung over one shoulder.

It walked over to her, with an unnatural smile on its face. The way the troll's lips cracked and stretched across its face, Akko guessed it didn't have much experience smiling.

"Don't matter, it Githo's now. Luckyy~" The troll chuckled gruffly to itself, holding Akko's wand up between two large fingers.

Akko shook her head, indignation letting her push past the pain. "Hey! Give that back!" She swiped a paw at the wand, but the troll held it just out of reach and cackled. "And I'm not a mouse, I'm a witch!"

"Eh?" The troll peered closer at her, its smushed face a few inches from the bars. "You don't look like witch to Githo. What that weird thing on head?"

The Troll's mouth was wider than Akko's mouse body and as it talked a breath of stale rotten air blew over her.

Akko slapped a paw over her nose as her eyes watered. "Hey! It's cute!" she cried, grimacing at the stench. "Now give me back my wand and let me out of here! I don't have time to waste with a dumb ol' troll. I have to make sure my friends are ok!"

The troll turned away from her, inspecting the wand as it walked. "Githo not dumb. With this, council has to let Githo back."

Akko cocked her head, paw still covering half of her face. "Council? I thought trolls lived alone under bridges and stuff."

The troll threw Akko a dirty look, clicking its tongue angrily. "Trolls only live alone if cast out."

"I could help you! I'm sure if we just talked to them they'd let you back."

"Council not care about words." The troll scoffed. "Council care about power."

"If you let me out and give me back my wand I'll show you a few spells." Akko wiggled her eyebrows as enticingly as she could as a mouse, a devilish smile spreading across her face.

"Oh-ho-ho no you don't. Githo not that easy to trick. Githo doesn't need mouse witch's help. Githo heard other witches yell."

The troll ignored his captive's groan and brandished the wand at the fire pit beneath the cauldron. "Rowa! Mora! Merwa! Grrr, what was spell?" The creature growled in frustration and grabbed the wand with both hands, squeezing till it's bulbous knuckles turned white.

'Watch it! You're going to break my wand!" Akko cried desperately, shaking the bars of the cage, her little paws unable to wrap all the way around the thick bars.

Githo squinted at Akko suspiciously, but eased its grip nonetheless.

"You have to say the right word or it won't work." Akko said.

"Tell Githo."

Akko stood defiantly, paws on her hips. "Not unless you let me out."

"Then mouse witch no use to Githo other than snack." The troll said, shrugging. It tossed the wand onto its cluttered desk.

"Snack?! Y-you don't want to eat me! I probably taste disgusting! _Especially_ as a mouse! Who would want to eat a mouse anyway?" Akko blubbered, waving her arms around frantically as she back-peddled away from the bars.

Githo ignored her and started rummaging in a poorly woven basket, murmuring to itself as it pulled out odd looking roots.

The blood drained from Akko's face as she watched the troll. With a gulp she inched towards the bars of the cage again, her eyes never leaving the troll. Sucking in her stomach, she tried to squeeze between the bars. With her upper half out she grabbed the bars and attempted to push her way out, her little mousey muscles straining with everything she had.

Her arms gave out and her grasp slipped, leaving her upper half dangling outside the cage. Akko took a few shallow breaths, her lungs constricted by the bars. She looked around for anything she could use and spotted a crude lock hanging next to her.

The troll stood and scooped up the miscellaneous items and dumped them into the caldron. Akko pulled herself back through the bars, scuttling back into the cage.

Githo bent down beside the cauldron and picked up a pair of rocks, its big hands fumbling them a little.

While the troll was preoccupied, Akko hastily grabbed the lock and her tail. Sticking her little tongue out in concentration she fed the tip of her tail into the lock. Wiggling and maneuvering her tail as deftly as she could. With a click the lock opened and dropped to the ground. She swung the cage doors open and jumped out.

"Huh?" Githo grunted.

Akko scampered up the workbench leg and snatched up her beloved wand. "Hey Githo! Here's the spell for transformation!"

" **Metamorphie Faciesse!** "

A bolt of magic shot out of Akko's wand and splattered across the furious troll's face. The magic light engulfed the troll before popping like a bubble, dumping a small green frog onto the floor.

"What you do to Githo?!" The frog croaked out.

"Heh! Serves you right! That's what you get for stealing my wand!" Akko stuck her tongue out and blew a raspberry at the transformed troll.

"Turn Githo back!" The frog jumped at Akko, it's springy legs catapulting it farther than it anticipated.

Githo rammed into Akko at top froggy speed, its slimy hands wrapping around the wand. The pair tumbled to the ground, limbs tangling as they fought over the wand. An elbow jabbed Akko in the ribs and her knee connected with the frog's soft underbelly.

"Ow! Get off me!"

"Merwa!" Githo croaked.

"That's not it either you dumb troll!" Akko made a desperate yank at her wand.

" **Murowa**!"

Magic welled up in the wand and shot out with a bang, ricocheting violently around the cave. Akko and Githo froze, both had their arms wrapped around the wand. Jars exploded, vegetables went flying, the magic slammed into the ceiling and sliced into the rock.

"What you do?!" Githo asked in horror, watching the newly formed crack widen and debris start to fall.

What?! I didn't do anything! You're the one that cast the spell!" Akko cried accusingly. She yanked her wand out of the frog troll's grasp and dove out of the way as a rock twice the size of her mousey body fell where they had stood.

"Not again!" Akko wailed in anguish. She scurried after Githo who was hopping down the corridor, dodging falling rocks left and right.

She was getting real sick of all these cave-ins. She'd had enough for a lifetime. This was the last time she let Diana take her to a cave! Why didn't they ever go look for ingredients on a beach? Beaches probably had tons of magical creatures, and no cave ins! Plus then she'd get to see Diana in a bathing suit!

 _That decides it_. Akko thought as scampered as fast as her furry legs would take her. _Next place we go is the beach._

* * *

Diana, Maliae and Amanda sat recovering around the entrance to the cave Maliae had identified would lead them in the direction Akko was. After some persuasion, Diana conceded that they needed to recover some of their energy before going after Akko.

Amanda gulped down water from a bottle she had stashed in her pack, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "Hey Diana, what did you mean when you said none of this will matter if something happens to Akko?"

Diana hesitated, unsure how much she could afford to divulge. Her lips twitched, as if they were begging her to let them open so everything could spill out.

"Is something wrong with Akko?"

"No." Diana replied quickly. "Akko is in good health."

Amanda studied the other witch for a moment. "Diana, what are we really looking for? You owe me that much after what just happened. I deserve to know what I'm risking my life for."

"I…" Diana breathed in deeply and let the air out slowly, preparing herself for the outburst she knew was soon to follow. "A Phoenix."

"WHAT?!" Amanda jolted upright. "A Phoenix?! Those haven't been seen for thousands of years!"

"I'm well aware that this is a long shot. However, my tests indicate that the ambient magic has reached a level capable of supporting it's revival." Diana replied as evenly as she could. She had known the answer would not be taken well, which is one reason she had withheld the information for so long.

Amanda pulled at her cheeks, stretching them comically wide. The only explanation for Diana to say something so ludicrous would be if this was a dream. She didn't wake up. "Even if there was a Phoenix, they hatch in extreme heat! Like _lava_ , Diana. I don't think there's any lava at the top of this mountain."

"No, you are correct about that. There is no lava. However, there _are_ Dragons."

"Dragons? I thought we were _very_ _specifically_ avoiding those nasty creatures." Amanda shook her head in utter disbelief. "This is more reckless than I thought you were capable of. Is this really worth it Diana?"

"I hope so." she whispered.

The words hung in the air for a moment. The two witches staring at each other. Diana shifted uncomfortably.

Maliae cleared her throat, catching the girls attention. "I'd like to tell you two a story. A story my grandmother told me when my tree was but a small sapling."

Amanda sighed heavily and ran her hand through her hair. "Sure. Why not?"

"You see my grandmother was alive and well during the golden era of magic. Magical creatures were thriving, Dryads had never been more powerful. And my grandmother, she was able to explore far past her tree, even before… modern techniques." Maliae shifted slightly. "One day, centuries before I was born, she saw a witch descend from the mountain. I'll never forget the look on my grandmother's face as she described the witch. Every time she told me this story it was a little different, but one word always stayed the same. _Ethereal_."

Maliae paused and looked into Diana's eyes. "This vastly powerful witch looked at her and said:

 _This world is full of miracles. A single tear can be powerful enough to cure even the most devastating afflictions._

"I never knew what she meant... but I think you might."

"Phoenix tears." Diana whispered breathily. A strange sensation gripped her. Was it relief? Hope? All her research had pointed to this location, but there was always the chance it was a dead end.

"Powerful witch centuries ago? Your grandma? What?" Amanda looked between the two.

"We should go. We have recovered enough to go after Akko." Diana said, a fierce look of determination replacing her exhaustion.

* * *

The trio made their way down the cave tunnel. Diana and Amanda lit the way with the green light of their wands. They walk in relative silence, each mulling over their own thoughts.

Amanda racked her mind, she could almost see how the pieces of the puzzle fit together, but a few things were bugging her. What did Akko have to do with any of this? And why would Diana need such powerful healing? All but the more chronic or terminal illnesses could be cured with modern magic and technology.

It wasn't long before a deep rumbling interrupted their thoughts. The ground beneath their boots shook, dust and small chips of rock fell from the ceiling.

"A cave in?" Amanda asked. "Will it reach us?"

"I think it is in a tunnel to our side. The one we were going to intersect with." Maliea replied, her hand glowing as she pressed it to the wall.

Diana whipped her wand to point at the wall Maliae was touching without a second thought.

" **Calconsi!** "

The tip of her wand glowed red hot and she drew a hasty circle in the wall. A line of the rock face melted as she moved her wand. No sooner had she finished, then the rocks inside the circle fell free, revealing another tunnel. The three girls jumped out of the way of the rocks tumbling around their feet.

Large chunks of the ceiling fell in the side tunnel and a cloud of dust was rushing towards them, obscuring their view.

"Watch out!" A voice from the tunnel squeaked.

"Whoa!" Amanda yelped.

A mouse dove through the opening, followed shortly by a frog. Just in time as a large boulder crashed into the makeshift entrance, sealing off the cave-in.

The mouse and frog collapsed on the floor and coughing from the dust cloud.

The painfully grip that clenched in her chest released its hold for a moment as she laid her eyes on a familiar ponytail. "Akko!" Relief flooded her senses. Akko was safe.

" **Metamorphie Faciesse!** "

A magic cloud of magic surrounded Akko before bursting. Revealing a beat up, face down Akko on the ground.

Akko peeled her face off the cave floor, confusion quickly replaced by elation.

Diana bent down and offered a hand and a deeply relieved expression. "I've got you."

"Diana! Amanda! Maliae! You're safe!" Akko grabbed Diana's hand and sprung up, wrapping the three in a tight embrace, burying her face in the crook of Diana's neck.

Diana wrapped her free arm around Akko, clutching at her shirt, never wanting to let her go again.

"Ack! Nice entrance Akko." Amanda gasped, her lungs compressed tightly in Akko's arms.

Emotions bubbled up inside Diana, swirling in her chest. Why was this girl always followed by so much danger?! "How could you cause another cave-in!" her voice partially smothered by Akko.

"Are you witches always this much trouble?"

Akko let go of her friends, and Diana's hand lingered on her arm. "Hey! It wasn't my fault! How did you guys manage to survive the bat? Not that I ever doubted Diana, but we were in a tight spot."

Amanda grinned. "Maliae over here was a total badass and strangled it with this seaweed stuff. Then Diana dropped some rocks on it and that was that."

"Daaaaang."

"What happened to you, Akko? Maliae sensed you being taken away." Diana ran a hand through Akko's hair, brushing out some lingering dirt. "I feared you were being taken out of my life forever…"

"Never." Akko said, taking a moment to give her a reassuring smile.

"I hit my head or something and next thing I knew I was in a cage! And this troll" she whipped around and pointed a finger at the frog accusingly. "-had stolen my wand!" She puffed out her cheeks angrily.

"I managed to escape and turned him into a frog, but then…"

"Hey! Turn Githo normal! Githo should have eated you." The frog growled the words, hopping forward.

Amanda had never seen a frog look so menacing. She added 'Angry frog threatened Akko' to her mental list of all the shit that'd happened on this trip so far.

"Psh, I'm not gunna turn you back. You're cursed now! That's what you get for messing with a witch!" Akko stuck her tongue out at the frog, blowing a raspberry.

It wasn't necessarily true, since the spell would fade once the magic she poured into it was spent. But the troll didn't need to know that, and Akko was getting a little satisfaction out of getting back at him for almost eating her.

The frog balked, it was usually easy to scare travelers into obeying him. But this body was weak and un-intimidating, he was coming to realize. "No.. break curse on Githo."

"You deserve to be cursed after kidnapping, stealing from and nearly eating my Ak- friend." Diana interrupted, glowering at the frog as she stepped slightly in front of Akko. "I'll undo the curse if you take us to the top of the mountain, however."

Githo swelled up his vocal sac angrily. "Githo have to survive!" he yelled, his voice projected louder by his throat.

He noticed Maliae, "You Dryad! Make them turn Githo normal! Githo have to live alone."

Maliae put a hand to her face in concern and in a sickly sweet voice said, "Oh dear, this is a predicament. But if you live alone, that means you must have been cast out from your clan."

The frog shrunk back.

"The rest of the Trolls would know a path to the top, why don't you take us to your old clan? I'm sure these powerful witches would turn you back once we arrived." She gestured to the three next to her.

"Ack. Githo can't go back!" he pleaded.

"I promise you don't have to go in!" Akko jumped forward and scooped up her kidnapper, "Just take us to the edge! Then I'll turn you back! We really reeaallly need to get to the top!"

"That's the best you'll get buddy." Amanda added.

Githo glanced around, the bright witch holding him nodded encouragingly, the Dryad smirked at him, but what really convinced him was the hardened glare of the blonde witch.

"Githo will take you." he said, looking about as defeated as a frog could get.

"Yay!" Akko cheered. She turned back to Diana and gave her a bright smile. "It's all working out! We'll have your research done in no time flat! And then we deserve to take a break and go to the beach. I'm sure there's magical creatures there that could help you with something."

"I could definitely use some sun and beach volleyball after this grimey cave." Amanda laughed.

"Beach?" Maliae asked. "The sun shines by my home too."

"Yeah, but the sun hits different when you've got your feet in the sand, a bikini babe in each arm." Amanda put an arm around Maliae's shoulder, "You'd look great in a bikini, my Dryad friend."

Akko choked and her face flushed. "I wasn't thinking about bikinis! Or Diana in a bikini!"

"You'll have to show me this beach, and these bikinis." Maliae said with an intrigued smile, wrapping an arm around Amanda's waist.

Diana chuckled and shook her head, "Come on, let's finish this and then we'll take a break wherever you want." She started down the corridor. With her back to her friends, her face dropped. "If this works." she said under her breath.

* * *

A/N: Guess it takes a quarantine to give me a chance to write again haha


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